. ‘We are ready for contest against all eligible candidates in 2027’
The All Progressives Congress in Ogun State has called on the “factional and crisis-ridden” Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, to face their failure like a man and stop the childish blame game on APC masterminding the delisting of its flagbearer from the final list of eligible candidates by Independent National Electoral Commission.
Reacting to allegations by the PDP Publicity Secretary, Mr. Kayode Adebayo and the party’s candidate that the APC pressured INEC to delist their candidate from contesting in the 2027 governorship race, Chairman of the Media and Publicity Committee of the Ogun APC Campaign Council, High Chief Kayode Odunaro,
stated that the factional PDP should give INEC the chance in its effort to deliver a credible election by strictly adhering to the rule of law and clearly stated provisions of the Electoral Law of the nation.
According to Odunaro, “APC and its candidates are contestants with other political parties’ candidates in the race towards 2027 under INEC as the umpire and regulatory body. How can anyone now attribute the failure of PDP to follow through on simple administrative procedures and adherence to rules of the game as pressure from APC on INEC leading to the non-listing of their candidate as a contestant.
“Besides, other candidates from other states suffered the same fate as factional PDP in Ogun State for similar non-adherence to the law. The nationally comatose PDP should stop the blame game against APC and its flagbearer, Senator Solomon Adeola, for all their gambling tendencies in simple matters of following laid down rules.”
He further stated that APC and its candidate for the governorship election, Senator Adeola are ready to contest with any candidate in the race as certified by INEC, stressing, however, that it would be a waste of time and energy to focus on a candidate and party that the umpire has refused to list as a contestant in the game.
“Our stand on this is that APC and its candidate for the governorship race is campaigning to win based on proven and verifiable performance, capacity, equity and justice with its 9-Point ITESIWAJU Manifesto. We do not sympathise with any party or candidate that runs foul of the rules of the game in any way. We all know what happens to a team fielding an ineligible player in a game of even football. More like scoring an own goal to lose the match, whatever other score on the scoreboard,” Odunaro stated.
The APC in Ogun State, therefore, restated its readiness to test the overwhelming popularity of its flagbearer, Senator Adeola at the February gubernatorial poll, stressing that the state cannot be pigeonholed to have what amounts to a transition of an “Iperu-to-Iperu governor” as represented by the PDP candidate in 2027.
