.says PDP is only party to take Nigeria, Ogun to prosperity
By James Ogunnaike, Abeokuta
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the 2027 general elections, Hon. Dr. Oladipupo Adebutu, has declared that the PDP remains the only political party capable of returning Nigeria and Ogun State to the path of prosperity.
Adebutu spoke on Tuesday at the PDP secretariat in Abeokuta while receiving about four thousand, five hundred new members who defected from the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Yayi Door-to-Door Movement and other political groups into the party.
Welcoming the defectors, Adebutu urged them to complete their registration as party members and mobilise others ahead of future elections.
“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,” he said.
He added: “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.”
The PDP chieftain accused the ruling government of poor governance and corruption, urging Nigerians to demand accountability through the ballot.
“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,” Adebutu stated.
Also speaking, the party’s Deputy National Organizing Secretary, Dr. Sunday Solarin, said the growing wave of defections reflected public dissatisfaction with the administration of the APC in Ogun State.
According to him, the defectors were attracted not only by the PDP, but also by the party’s candidates, whom they believe possess the capacity and character to provide responsible leadership.
“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,” Solarin said.
“They have 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.”
He argued that many residents, particularly in Ogun Central, were disappointed with what he described as the lack of expected development under the APC-led administration over the past seven years.
“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 said.
Solarin maintained that the PDP governorship candidate had earned public confidence through years of engagement with the people and his record of assisting communities.
“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,” he added.
Speaking on behalf of the defectors, High Chief Mustapha AbdulAkeem Owolabi, Chairman of the Egba Agenda Forum and Convener of the Ogun Rescue Movement, said more than 4,500 members from the APC, Yayi Door-to-Door, ADC and other political groups had resolved to join the PDP.
He described the defection as a reflection of growing public dissatisfaction with the current administration.
“Today, we brought more than 4,500 defectors from the APC, Yayi Door-to-Door, ADC and other political groups across Abeokuta and the surrounding Egba communities,” Owolabi said.
“We have joined the movement that is supporting Hon. Ladi Adebutu for the governorship of Ogun State in 2027.”
Owolabi expressed confidence that the PDP would make significant electoral gains in Ogun Central, which he described as a key battleground.
“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,” he said.
He added: “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 large numbers.”
