Adebutu’s Travails Not Our Making, Ogun APC Campaign Chair Tells PDP
The Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ogun State APC Presidential and Gubernatorial Campaign Council, Hon. Kayode Oladele, has dismissed allegations linking prominent political figures in Abuja to the legal challenges facing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship aspirant, Hon. Ladi Adebutu.
Oladele described the allegations as cheap propaganda aimed at diverting attention from the PDP’s electoral difficulties. The legal practitioner and former member of the House of Representatives was reacting to a publication titled “Ogun 2027: The Power Play Behind Yayi’s Guber Ambition and the Forces Closing In on Adebutu”
He said it was ridiculous to suggest that support for the APC governorship candidate by prominent leaders of the party amounted to a political conspiracy against Adebutu. According to him, attempts to frame legitimate party loyalty as a sinister plot were aimed at creating a false narrative around the political situation in Ogun State.
“All the individuals mentioned in that publication are prominent APC leaders occupying important positions in government. It is therefore absurd for anybody to suggest that their support for their party’s candidate constitutes some sinister political arrangement,” Oladele said.
“Would Adebutu expect Senate President Godswill Akpabio, Senate Leader Opeyemi Bamidele, Chief of Staff to the President Femi Gbajabiamila and Hon. James Faleke to turn their backs on their own party’s candidate and support the PDP instead?
“Since when has supporting one’s political party become evidence of wrongdoing? These are APC leaders, not PDP campaign officials. Their political support for Yayi is legitimate and requires no conspiracy theory to explain.
“People should stop all this gibberish about so-called insider sources and imaginary political plots. It is cheap propaganda that serves no useful purpose whatsoever,” he added.
The former acting Chairman of the Federal Character Commission (FCC) said the PDP’s legal difficulties should be examined within the framework of the Electoral Act and relevant judicial decisions, rather than attributed to political relationships in Abuja.
“The fundamental question is whether the PDP complied with the mandatory provisions of the Electoral Act governing the nomination and sponsorship of candidates. That question cannot be answered by inventing stories about political influence.
“The Supreme Court’s decision in INEC v. Zenith Labour Party underscores the importance of statutory compliance. Where a political party is legally disabled from sponsoring candidates, no aspirant can escape the consequences merely because of personal ambition or political popularity.
“The Constitution binds INEC, the Electoral Act and applicable judgments of the courts. Anyone alleging that the commission acted under political pressure must provide credible evidence rather than hide behind unnamed sources,” he said.
He also dismissed attempts to link the current controversy to political disagreements dating back to the 2015 National Assembly leadership contest.
“Interestingly, the publication itself acknowledges that no evidence has been established linking President Bola Tinubu or the other political figures mentioned to any directive excluding Adebutu. That admission exposes the weakness of the entire conspiracy narrative,” Oladele noted.
He urged political commentators to distinguish between legitimate analysis and unsupported allegations capable of undermining public confidence in democratic institutions.
“The PDP should confront its legal challenges instead of looking for imaginary enemies in Abuja. Political propaganda cannot cure statutory non-compliance, and speculation cannot overturn a judgment of the Supreme Court,” he said.
The former Chairman of the House of Representative Committee on Financial Crimes added that the APC would remain focused on engaging the electorate and presenting its development agenda across the state.
“While others are preoccupied with conspiracy theories, Yayi is engaging directly with the people, listening to their concerns and discussing the future of Ogun State.
“The people deserve a campaign driven by issues, performance and credible development plans, not endless excuses for political and legal difficulties.
“Abuja did not write the Electoral Act, and political relationships cannot override the law. Those dissatisfied with INEC’s decisions should seek alternative legal remedies if available, rather than manufacture allegations against APC leaders,” he said.
