…As Oladele knocks Iyabo Obasanjo, PDP
The chairman of the Ogun State All Progressives Congress (APC) 2027 Campaign Planning Committee, Kayode Oladele, has urged former Senator Iyabo Obasanjo and leaders of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to study the Electoral Act rather than accuse the ruling party of engineering Hon. Ladi Adebutu’s omission from the list of governorship candidates.
Oladele dismissed suggestions that the APC feared Adebutu as baseless political propaganda, insisting that the PDP should examine its electoral difficulties in light of its internal crisis, statutory obligations, and the legal consequences of relevant judicial decisions.
The legal practitioner, former member of the House of Representatives and former Acting Executive Chairman of the Federal Character Commission, said the PDP should confront the legal questions surrounding Adebutu’s candidacy rather than attribute its predicament to political opponents.
In a statement, Oladele described Obasanjo’s and PDP leaders’ reactions as disappointing, especially given their experience in public affairs and access to legal guidance on electoral matters.
“The APC is not afraid of Adebutu or any other candidate. Elections are governed by laws, not emotions or political sentiments. If the PDP has encountered legal difficulties, it should confront those difficulties rather than manufacture allegations against the APC,” he said.
Oladele maintained that the controversy should be examined against the provisions of the Electoral Act and the implications of the Supreme Court’s decision in Zenith Labour Party v. INEC, particularly concerning the statutory obligations of political parties and the submission of candidates.
“A candidate cannot escape the legal disabilities of the political party sponsoring him. Nigeria’s present electoral framework allows no independent candidates. Consequently, where a political party is legally disabled from taking a particular electoral step, its candidate cannot acquire a right that the sponsoring party does not possess.
“The PDP should therefore concentrate on understanding the enormity of its electoral challenges instead of accusing the APC of being afraid of Adebutu,” he stated.
Oladele also rejected the argument that including other PDP candidates on the published list automatically proved Adebutu was deliberately excluded.
“The fact that other PDP candidates appeared on the list does not, by itself, prove that every statutory requirement applicable to Adebutu was satisfied. The relevant nomination records, legal provisions and judicial decisions must be examined before conclusions are drawn,” he explained.
Turning to Obasanjo, Oladele questioned her interpretation of the development, arguing that her reference to scientific reasoning should ordinarily demand a more rigorous examination of the facts.
“Senator Iyabo Obasanjo should recognise that science is grounded in evidence, not conjecture. If she believes the APC influenced INEC’s decision, she should provide credible evidence rather than present political suspicion as an established fact.
“As someone who has served in the Senate, she should understand that electoral disputes are resolved by applying the law and established procedures, not by attributing every unfavourable development to political opponents,” he said.
Oladele further dismissed suggestions that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, needed Adebutu’s exclusion to strengthen his governorship prospects.
He maintained that Adeola’s political standing rested on his record of public service, development initiatives, and political organisation across Ogun State.
