......PDP alleges pressure from APC, insists candidate remains eligible for 2027 poll
The Independent National Electoral Commission has omitted the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, and his running mate from its final list of candidates for the 2027 governorship election.
The omission has drawn a reaction from the Ogun State chapter of the PDP, which alleged that the development was caused by pressure from the ruling All Progressives Congress.
In a statement issued on Saturday, October 10, 2026, and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, the opposition party urged its members and supporters to remain calm, insisting that Adebutu’s name would eventually be published by INEC.
The party said Adebutu had remained a member of the PDP and completed the required digital registration within the stipulated period. It added that his membership card had been printed, verified and submitted to the electoral commission on time.
The PDP, however, did not provide evidence in the statement to substantiate its allegation that the APC exerted pressure on INEC over the omission.
The party urged its supporters not to be distracted by the development, expressing confidence that its candidate would participate in the 2027 governorship election.
Meanwhile, Adebutu’s omission is not the only instance involving the PDP in the final governorship lists released by INEC.
In Gombe State, the commission also omitted Isa Pantami, who reportedly won a fresh PDP governorship primary, from the list of candidates for the state.
The final list contains 13 governorship candidates for Ogun State and 16 for Gombe State, but neither list includes a PDP candidate.
The omissions raise questions about the party’s participation in the two states ahead of the 2027 governorship elections, although the reasons for the commission’s decisions were not stated in the information available.
The PDP said it remained committed to pursuing its political objectives in Ogun State and called on its members to remain vigilant as the party seeks the inclusion of its candidate on the final list.
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