Ogun's opposition PDP has fired back at the ruling APC over comments about its 2027 gubernatorial hopeful, Oladipupo Adebutu. The party claims residents are hungry for real change, not empty political rhetoric.
In a statement Sunday, PDP Youth Leader Lukman Ejalonibu accused the APC of nervousness about Adebutu's rising influence in the state. He said no propaganda campaign will stop what's already happening across Ogun.
Ejalonibu was responding to recent remarks by Governor Dapo Abiodun's Special Assistant on Youth Development, Olamide Lawal. During a television appearance, Lawal dismissed Adebutu as no real threat to the ruling party.
According to Lawal, Adebutu lacks the political muscle and track record needed to challenge the APC in 2027. He also pointed to state zoning arrangements as another barrier to Adebutu's ambitions.
But the PDP youth leader saw it differently. He argued that the APC's fixation on Adebutu actually proves his growing popularity among Ogun voters.
"It's both funny and contradictory," Ejalonibu told reporters. "The APC claims he's harmless, yet they keep attacking him on air."
He made a pointed observation: no political party wastes prime time discussing an opponent it considers weak. The very attention proves Adebutu's relevance, he insisted.
Ejalonibu defended Adebutu's House of Representatives service, highlighting his record on education and youth programs. Community development projects in his constituency also featured prominently, the youth leader noted.
He described Adebutu as rooted in Ogun. His ties to the people stretch far beyond electoral calculations, Ejalonibu emphasized.
What matters now is substance, not spin, the PDP official argued. His party wants to offer genuine alternatives and real solutions to voters.
Ejalonibu criticized the APC for hiding behind zoning talk instead of debating real issues. Unemployment, crumbling roads, and economic pain deserve focus, he said.
"Democracy is about ideas, skills and public confidence," he added firmly. "It's not about excuses born from political fear."
If Adebutu truly posed no danger, Ejalonibu reasoned, the APC wouldn't make him their main talking point. Yet they do—week after week.
