ABEOKUTA -The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State of desperation and unwillingness to face a fair electoral contest, following the omission of the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu’s name from the list recently published by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
Obasanjo, a former senator who represented Ogun Central between 2007 and 2011, made the allegation during an interview with The Arena, an Abeokuta-based multi-topic podcast.
She said the circumstances surrounding Adebutu’s omission suggested that political opponents were more interested in eliminating competition than winning elections through the ballot box.
Speaking during the interview, the former Ogun State Commissioner for Health described the development as a threat to Nigeria’s democracy, warning that allowing powerful political interests to manipulate electoral processes could undermine the country’s democratic system.
Obasanjo explained that she initially dismissed rumours about the omission because the lists of senatorial and House of Representatives candidates had already been published.
However, she said further inquiries into Adebutu’s case raised questions about why his name was missing when other PDP candidates had completed the same processes.
“What is it that Honourable Ladi did differently than what we did? And when I asked that question, I have a scientific mind. The answer was, he did the exact same thing, right? That we all did,” she said.
“The next question is then why is his name ot in the list?”
According to her, the investigation that followed suggested that political opponents had taken steps to influence the situation, which she described as illegal.
She maintained that no satisfactory reason had been given for Adebutu’s omission and expressed confidence that his name would eventually be restored.
“His name is going to be back (on the list),” she said.
The PDP candidate argued that the issue went beyond Adebutu or the fortunes of her party, warning that allowing political opponents to remove candidates through questionable means could set a dangerous precedent.
“If this happens, then a democracy will crash because everybody that is a money bag will go to Abuja and give the neutral institution money to remove anybody they think can beat them,” she said.
“And so the idea is that, can one man’s desperation to be governor, can we allow us to kill our democracy?”
Obasanjo urged Nigerians to view the controversy as a broader test of the country’s commitment to democratic principles, noting that the survival of democracy depended on respect for established rules and electoral competition.
“It is not even about Honourable Adebutu, it’s not about PDP, it’s about the democracy Nigeria runs,” she said.
She added that repeatedly violating democratic rules could eventually destroy the system they were designed to protect.
“But every time you keep breaking rules, it eventually leads to the end of that experiment. And you don’t know which rule will break it,” she said.
Obasanjo also dismissed suggestions that the controversy surrounding Adebutu’s name could weaken the PDP’s chances in the state, insisting that the development could instead expose the opposition’s alleged fear of a competitive election.
“No. Our people are firm in what they want to do. I believe Honourable Ladi’s name will be back,” she said.
She added that the development demonstrated what she described as the opposition’s desperation to avoid a fair contest.
Obasanjo expressed confidence that the PDP would perform strongly in Ogun State, citing the party’s historical appeal and what she described as the quality of governance under former Governor Gbenga Daniel, popularly known as OGD.
She said some residents were looking back at the administration with renewed appreciation, arguing that the party’s record of service remained an important part of its political appeal.
She maintained that the PDP’s previous record of public service would help the party regain the confidence of voters.
She added that the public response had strengthened her belief that Nigerians were not inherently bad, but that the political system often encouraged behaviour that undermined public service.
“Our people are not bad. The political system has made people become what we believe is this crass system, but if we are able to elevate our political system, the people will go along with us,” she said.
Obasanjo said the love and respect she had received from constituents were among the most rewarding aspects of her political career.
Obasanjo also said she had no regrets about her brief stay in the All Progressives Congress (APC), despite her subsequent return to the PDP.
She explained that she joined the APC in good faith, partly because of her relationship with President Bola Tinubu and her previous political interactions with him.
“I joined APC in good faith. So I have no regrets,” she said.
However, she criticised the party’s handling of its candidate-selection process in Ogun State, arguing that the approach to consensus-building had alienated some aspirants and party members.
According to her, a genuine consensus process should involve all aspirants, allowing them to understand and collectively accept the decision reached by the party.
She added that a party should not expect to win elections after disregarding the interests and feelings of its members.
