ABEOKUTA – The Chairman of the Planning Committee of the Ogun State APC Presidential and Governorship Campaign Council, Hon. Kayode Oladele, has called on the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, to clarify his membership status in the party following claims that his name does not appear in the PDP membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Oladele made the call against the backdrop of a statement by the Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum (ODAF), which claimed that a Certified True Copy of the PDP membership register obtained from INEC did not contain Adebutu’s name.
He said the allegation raises a specific and fundamental question which Adebutu and the PDP should address by producing the relevant membership record.
“This is not a complicated matter. Hon. Ladi Adebutu should simply clarify his membership status in the PDP. If his name is contained in the membership register submitted by the party to INEC within the period prescribed by law, he should produce the relevant document and put the matter to rest,” Oladele said.
“However, if his name is not on the membership register submitted by the PDP to INEC within the period prescribed by law, then he and the PDP owe the people of Ogun State an explanation as to the legal basis upon which he participated in the primary and emerged as the party’s governorship candidate, particularly in light of Sections 77(5) and 77(6) of the Electoral Act 2026, which provide that only members whose names are contained in the register are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions, and that a political party shall not use any register other than the one submitted to INEC for those exercises.”
The controversy follows the September 24 judgment of the Supreme Court restoring provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 dealing with political-party membership registers and nomination processes.
The apex court restored Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Act after setting aside the Court of Appeal decision that had struck down the provisions.
Oladele said the development makes it important for Adebutu and the PDP to address the factual question surrounding his membership rather than allow the controversy to linger.
“The first question is a question of fact: was Ladi Adebutu’s name on the PDP membership register submitted to INEC within the legally prescribed period or was it not? The answer should be found in the document submitted to INEC,” he said.
According to ODAF, the Certified True Copy in its possession represents the PDP membership register submitted to INEC for the relevant nomination exercise, and Adebutu’s name could not be found in it.
The group further claimed that Adebutu had earlier participated in party activities under the Tanimu Turaki-led faction before subsequently moving to another PDP structure. It consequently questioned whether his name appeared in the membership register submitted to INEC within the statutory period.
Oladele said Adebutu should respond to the questions by producing the relevant documentary evidence.
“Rather than allowing this controversy to continue, Hon. Adebutu should tell the people of Ogun State when and where he was registered as a member of the PDP and, most importantly, whether his name was contained in the membership register submitted to INEC before the relevant primary,” he said.
“Those are straightforward questions requiring straightforward answers.”
Oladele also urged INEC to preserve the integrity of the membership register submitted by the PDP and ensure that the document remains available for scrutiny in accordance with the law.
He stressed that the legal consequences, if any, arising from Adebutu’s alleged absence from the register would ultimately be determined by the appropriate institutions and courts based on the applicable law and evidence.
“The Supreme Court has restored the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act. The immediate issue here is therefore to establish the facts. Nobody should prejudge the courts, but legitimate questions about compliance with the statutory requirements governing party nominations cannot simply be ignored.
“The people of Ogun State deserve transparency from everyone seeking to govern them. If Adebutu’s name is on the legally relevant membership register, let the document be produced, and the matter will be put to rest. If it is not, then the PDP and its candidate have a serious question to answer regarding the process through which he participated in the primary and emerged as the party’s governorship candidate.”
Neither Adebutu nor the PDP had responded to the specific allegation concerning his name on the membership register at the time of filing this report.
In a swift reaction, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ogun State Chapter has strongly refuted claims questioning the eligibility of its candidate for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election, describing allegations of the omission of Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu’s name from the official membership register of the Party as a baseless fabrication orchestrated by political detractors.
Addressing reports circulating from the Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum (ODAF), the State Publicity Secretary of the Party, Arc. Kayode Adebayo clarified that Adebutu remains a fully registered, financial, and undisputed leader of the party in Ogun State.
The party also affirmed that all legal and statutory requirements under the Electoral Act regarding party registration and submission of membership registers to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were strictly satisfied within the stipulated deadlines.
The party maintained that the narrative claiming Adebutu is disqualified is a sponsored smear campaign designed by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and its proxy groups to create artificial panic among the electorate and distract from key political vulnerabilities ahead of the election.
According to the PDP, the primary motivation behind the false narrative is to cover up the unresolved questions surrounding the indigeneship status of Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi.
The PDP urged INEC to ignore pressure from political proxies, reassuring supporters across Ogun State that Adebutu’s nomination process remains intact and that he remains fully eligible to contest the 2027 governorship race.
