By Segun Olatunji
If there is one thing the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu possesses in absolute abundance, it is an unshakeable, bulletproof sense of optimism. While the rest of the political universe operates on gravity, mathematics, and the tiresome necessity of keeping actual human beings inside their political parties, the PDP governorship hopeful seems to operate on pure vibes, a seven-point agenda, and the blissful calm of a man who believes numbers are merely optional suggestions.
Which brings us to the delightful events of Sunday, September 20, 2026.
While Adebutu was presumably fine-tuning his “Call to Liberation” speech or daring his fierce All Progressives Congress rival, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to a duel over ancestral certificates, the earth beneath the PDP shifted quite significantly in Ogun West. By shifted, we mean it practically cleared out. In a spectacular display of political gymnastics in Ilaro, the hub of the Yewa-Awori nation, no fewer than 33 top-tier PDP leaders grabbed their bags and jumped off the sinking ship. And because true leaders never walk alone, they gracefully strolled across the aisle into the waiting, sun-drenched arms of the All Progressives Congress (APC)—accompanied by an upbeat, totally enthusiastic entourage of over 20,000 members.
Twenty thousand! On a single Sunday afternoon. It takes real talent to oversee a downsizing that efficient.
That was, of course, a masterclass in “strategic slimming.”
Naturally, the spin doctors will tell us this is nothing to worry about. We can already hear the comforting assurances from the PDP State Secretariat in Abeokuta: “The party remains very strong, united and completely unbothered by minor arithmetic fluctuations,” they might declare. After all, who needs 20,000 voters and 33 experienced grassroots mobilisers when you have internal harmony and cross-party alignments that stretch all the way to Abuja?
While Adebutu was presumably fine-tuning his “Call to Liberation” speech or daring his fierce All Progressives Congress rival, Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, to a duel over ancestral certificates, the earth beneath the PDP shifted quite significantly in Ogun West. By shifted, we mean it practically cleared out. In a spectacular display of political gymnastics in Ilaro, the hub of the Yewa-Awori nation, no fewer than 33 top-tier PDP leaders grabbed their bags and jumped off the sinking ship. And because true leaders never walk alone, they gracefully strolled across the aisle into the waiting, sun-drenched arms of the All Progressives Congress (APC)—accompanied by an upbeat, totally enthusiastic entourage of over 20,000 members
Let’s look at the bright side for the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation (LADO). Carrying the weight of 20,000 loyalists in Ogun West was probably getting quite exhausting. Think of the logistics! The demands for campaign souvenirs, the endless consultations in Ilaro, the sheer volume of chairs required at rallies. By outsourcing these thousands of human beings directly to the APC, Adebutu’s path to Oke Mosan in 2027 has suddenly become remarkably streamlined. It is a bold, vanguard strategy: winning an election by simply running out of voters before the opponent does.
Besides, why stress over the mass exodus in Ogun West when you can spend valuable campaign hours focusing on the truly pressing issues of the day? Who cares about retaining a stronghold in Ilaro when you can spend the week launching fiery broadsides challenging Senator Yayi to sue you over where the umbilical cord of his great-grandfather was buried? It’s pure political genius. Votes don’t win elections in Ogun State; genealogical litigation does.
The Yewa Factor and Other Minor Details
Ogun West, as any casual observer of Gateway State politics knows, is a trivial little territory that barely matters in the grand scheme of things. It’s just the entire senatorial district that has been clamouring for the governorship for decades. By letting the APC completely swallow the PDP structure in Ilaro, Adebutu is clearly demonstrating his profound respect for the district’s independence. Why interfere with Ogun West when you can let Yayi manage it entirely? It’s called delegation.
Meanwhile, back in the remaining corners of the Ogun PDP, things are looking equally serene. Former deputy governorship candidate Adekunle Akinlade and a few other stakeholders like Sikirulahi Ogundele and Jimi Lawal had occasionally dropped by to mention that the party doesn’t actually support Adebutu’s 2027 ambitions and that holding parallel congresses was the new trendy way to show solidarity. But again, what is a leadership crisis when you have a beautiful consensus ticket?
The APC, under Governor Dapo Abiodun’s establishment, must be absolutely trembling at this development. Sure, they just inherited an entire army of battle-tested opposition leaders and thousands of voters in a critical border region. But they now have the heavy burden of managing them. Adebutu, unburdened by the hassle of leading a massive crowd, can now fly to London or tour Odogbolu with the light, breezy agility of a candidate who has nothing left to lose—literally.
Onward to 2027!
As the dust settles on the Ilaro defection ground, the message from the Adebutu camp remains defiant and beautifully detached from the harsh realities of Sunday’s mass departure. The campaign promises local government autonomy, economic growth, and an end to APC rule.
So what if 33 generals and 20,000 soldiers just marched into the enemy camp? The grand plan is clearly visualised. Come February 2027, the PDP will stage the ultimate surprise. They will arrive at the polling booths perfectly unencumbered by the very people who were supposed to vote for them, proving once and for all that in the wonderful world of Ladi Adebutu, belief triumphs over numbers every single time.
Keep marching, Hon. Ladi Adebutu. The territory ahead is wide open—mostly because your followers have already cleared out and moved down the road.
. Olatunji, a Journalist, Political/Crisis Communication Strategist, writes from Ilaro, Ogun State
