Politics
Ogun PDP Urges Calm Over Adebutu’s Omission From INEC List
The party insists its governorship candidate met membership registration requirements and alleges political interference, while INEC has not publicly explained the omission.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has urged its members and supporters to remain calm following the omission of its governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, and his running mate from the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 governorship election.
The party expressed confidence that the issue would be resolved before the election, insisting that Adebutu remained a registered PDP member and had fulfilled the necessary membership registration requirements.
In a statement issued by its Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, the Ogun PDP said Adebutu participated in the party’s digital membership registration exercise within the stipulated period. It maintained that his membership card was printed and verified, and that the relevant information was submitted to INEC on time.
The party also insisted that its governorship primary, which produced Adebutu as its candidate, was conducted in the presence of INEC officials serving as observers.
PDP Alleges Political Interference
The Ogun PDP attributed the omission to what it described as political interference, alleging that the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) had exerted pressure on INEC because of concerns about the forthcoming election.
However, the party did not provide publicly verified evidence to substantiate the allegation. INEC’s published list did not state why Adebutu and his running mate were omitted.
The commission’s final list included 13 governorship candidates and their running mates representing different political parties. Neither Adebutu nor his running mate appeared on the list, leaving the PDP without a listed candidate for the Ogun governorship contest at the time of publication.
Membership Register Requirements Under Scrutiny
The omission comes amid wider questions about political parties’ compliance with membership-register requirements under the Electoral Act 2026.
The Supreme Court recently restored provisions requiring political parties to submit their membership registers to INEC within the statutory timeframe and restricting participation in party primaries to members whose names appear on the submitted registers.
The legal requirements have become a significant issue ahead of the 2027 elections, with INEC’s final candidate lists excluding PDP governorship candidates in both Ogun and Gombe states.
The Ogun PDP has rejected any suggestion that Adebutu failed to satisfy the applicable requirements and maintains that the necessary registration procedures were completed.
Party Calls for Calm Ahead of Election
Despite the omission, the Ogun PDP urged its members, supporters and residents to remain calm and continue preparing for the election.
The party expressed confidence that the matter would be resolved and that Adebutu’s name would eventually appear on INEC’s list. However, that remains the party’s expectation rather than a confirmed decision by the electoral commission.
The development has raised questions about the PDP’s participation in the Ogun governorship election, with the party maintaining that it intends to pursue the matter while continuing its political preparations.
The election is scheduled for February 6, 2027. Any change to the published candidate list will depend on further action by INEC or relevant legal proceedings.