The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party has urged its members and supporters to remain calm following the omission of its governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate from the final list of candidates published by the Independent National Electoral Commission for the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
INEC’s final list for Ogun State contains 13 governorship candidates and their running mates, but no candidate from the PDP. The Commission’s published document does not state the reason for the omission.
Reacting to the development, the Ogun PDP insisted that Adebutu remained a bona fide member of the party and had complied with the membership registration requirements within the stipulated period.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Arc. Kayode Adebayo, the party said Adebutu participated in its digital membership registration exercise and that his membership card was printed, verified and submitted to INEC within the prescribed timeframe.
“We state emphatically that our candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, has never left the Peoples Democratic Party at any time. He duly registered as a member of the party within the designated period of the digital registration exercise, and his membership card was printed, verified and submitted to INEC at the stipulated time,” the party said.
Questions over Adebutu’s eligibility had emerged following allegations that his name was not contained in the PDP membership register submitted to INEC. The party has rejected that claim and maintained that it complied with the relevant legal requirements.
The controversy comes amid increased scrutiny of political party membership registers following the Supreme Court’s restoration of provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 regulating party membership and candidate nomination procedures.
Sections 77(5), 77(6) and 77(7) require political parties to rely on membership registers submitted to INEC within the statutory period for participation in primaries, congresses and conventions. INEC has also said parties that fail to comply with the membership-register requirements may be unable to field affected candidates.
However, INEC’s final Ogun list itself gives no specific explanation for Adebutu’s exclusion.
The Ogun PDP alleged that the omission resulted from pressure from the ruling All Progressives Congress, which it accused of attempting to weaken the opposition ahead of the election.
“The omission of our candidate’s name from INEC’s list is a consequence of the undue pressure allegedly mounted on the commission by the ruling party out of fear of losing the election to our party,” Adebayo stated.
The claim remains an allegation by the PDP, and no evidence establishing political interference was cited in the statement. The APC’s response to the allegation was not contained in the material available for this report.
Despite the omission, the PDP expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved and that Adebutu’s name would eventually appear on the appropriate list of candidates.
The Electoral Act 2026 provides a procedure for political parties to raise objections where the name of a nominated candidate is missing from a published list. Under Section 32(2), a party may notify INEC in writing, supported by an affidavit, within 14 days of publication.
The party therefore urged its members and supporters not to be distracted by the development and to continue their political mobilisation ahead of the election.
“While we urge the good people of Ogun State not to be perturbed or distracted from our collective resolve to vote out the APC, we remain resolute, unfazed and unwaveringly confident that our candidate is marching towards a decisive victory in the 2027 governorship election,” the PDP said.
It further maintained that Adebutu’s omission would not affect its preparations for the poll, describing the development as one it expected to address through the available legal and administrative processes.
“No amount of desperate manipulation, political witch-hunts or calculated distractions can alter the mandate of the people of Ogun State, who are overwhelmingly eager for true leadership and positive change,” the party stated.
The PDP again appealed to its supporters, party members and other stakeholders to remain calm and await further steps over Adebutu’s absence from the INEC list.
“Once again, we call on all our teeming supporters, party faithful and the general public to remain steadfast, vigilant and unintimidated as the unstoppable movement to rescue Ogun State and bring relief to our people continues to gain momentum,” the statement added.
... “Adebutu Has Never Left The PDP And Was Duly Registered” — Ogun PDP Rejects INEC Omission, Says Candidate Will Be Restored ... TheNigeriaLawyer.