Adebutu Welcomes Defectors, Urges Ogun Residents to Join PDP for 2027 Elections

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State for 2027, Oladipupo Adebutu, has said that PDP is the only party that can lead Nigeria and Ogun State back to prosperity and good governance.

Adebutu made this statement on Tuesday at the PDP secretariat in Abeokuta while welcoming new members who switched from the All Progressives Congress, the African Democratic Congress, the Yayi Door-to-Door Movement, and other political groups.

At the event, Adebutu encouraged the new members to complete their registrations and mobilize others for future elections. He said, “Today at our party secretariat, we are welcoming new entrants into the Peoples Democratic Party. We know for certain that this is the only vehicle that can take Nigeria and Ogun State to prosperity. We have appealed to everyone joining the party that, if for any reason they have not yet registered, now is the time to do so.”

He criticized the current government for poor leadership and corruption. He urged Nigerians to hold leaders accountable by voting. Adebutu said, “Nigerians must become righteously annoyed because we have an uncaring government. We are witnessing some of the worst cases of embezzlement and corrupt practices from top to bottom. The only way out is for the people to get righteously annoyed and vote these people out.”

Growing Discontent with APC

The party’s Deputy National Organising Secretary, Dr Sunday Solarin, also spoke at the event. He said the increase in defections shows that people are unhappy with the APC government in Ogun State. Solarin noted that the defectors are not just drawn to PDP, but also to the candidates who they believe can provide good leadership.

He said, “What we have done today is to welcome people who are tired of the way they have been governed in Ogun State and Nigeria as a whole. They have therefore left their former political platforms to join the PDP not only because they believe in the party, but because they also believe in the candidates the party has presented.”

Solarin highlighted that many people, especially in Ogun Central, are disappointed with the lack of development under the APC-led government over the past seven years. He stated, “They want good governance. They want a better life. They want prosperity, things they believe they have not found under the APC government for almost a decade.”

He added that the PDP governorship candidate has gained public trust through years of connecting with the people and helping communities. He said, “They have discovered that the PDP, and especially its governorship candidate, can provide that hope. They see him as someone with empathy, someone who is passionate about the welfare of the people and someone who has consistently lived among them for over 35 years.”

A Big Turnout of Defectors

Speaking for the defectors, the Chairman of the Egba Agenda Forum and Convener of the Ogun Rescue Movement, High Chief Mustapha AbdulAkeem Owolabi, said over 4,500 members from the APC, Yayi Door-to-Door Movement, the ADC, and other groups have decided to join the PDP.

Owolabi pointed out that this defection shows the growing public discontent with the current administration. He said, “Today, we brought more than 4,500 defectors from the APC, Yayi Door-to-Door Movement, the ADC and other political groups across Abeokuta and the surrounding Egba communities. We have joined the movement that is supporting Hon. Ladi Adebutu for the governorship of Ogun State in 2027.”

He is confident that the PDP will gain more support in Ogun Central, which he called a crucial area. He said, “My message is that we should continue to grow in strength because we are determined to defeat the APC, and we will do so by a record margin. People are disappointed with the government of the day. You cannot honestly say life is better today than it was four years ago or even eight years ago.

“If a government has been in office for four to seven years without delivering meaningful progress, people will naturally seek an alternative. That is why people are moving to the PDP in their large numbers, and many more will still join the party because they believe that it is only the PDP that can make life better for every resident of the state.”