By Segun Olatunji
If there is one thing the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State is consistently brilliant at, it is the fine art of political melodrama. Give them a minor headline, an unverified rumour or a slight breeze from the West, and they will spin you a Shakespearean tragedy of monumental proportions.
The party’s latest press release, signed by the State Publicity Secretary, Arc. Otunba Kayode Adebayo, is a sparkling example of this comedic craft. It is a document so drenched in panic, packaged as “critical interrogation,” that one cannot help but laugh.
The core of the PDP’s grievance? A report by an online publication alleging that Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola — fondly called Yayi — boasted about turning the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) into his personal marionette. According to this highly academic, tightly sourced rumour, Yayi allegedly claimed, “I am the puppeteer, INEC is my puppet.”
Now, any mature political party would look at an unverified quote from an anonymous “close source” and move on with their day. But not the Ogun State PDP. They have pounced on it with the desperation of a drowning man grabbing at a floating leaf. Why? Because it provides the perfect, glittering distraction from a rather embarrassing reality: their governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, has somehow gone missing from the INEC gubernatorial list.
Yes, you read that right. While other candidates are busy organising structures and mapping out logistics, the PDP’s flagbearer has managed to get omitted from the list entirely. INEC hasn’t even bothered to give a reason yet, which tells you everything you need to know about how seriously the commission is taking the party’s paperwork. Instead of looking inward, auditing their legal team or checking if someone forgot to attach the right passport photographs, the PDP has decided that Yayi must be the boogeyman pulling the strings. It is a masterclass in shifting blame. “We messed up our filing, so clearly, the Chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee is using his desk to destroy our democracy!”
While Adebutu is stuck in a legal and administrative limbo, Yayi is casually rolling out achievements across Ogun West like a man who forgot there was even an election happening. In recent months, Yayi has turned the district into a massive construction site and empowerment hub. We are talking about the facilitated construction of major township roads, the distribution of multi-million naira entrepreneurial grants to thousands of youth and women and the provision of transformers to communities that had been in darkness since the PDP last held power nationally
While the PDP is busy playing detective and demanding that Yayi issues a “clear, direct, and immediate clarification” over internet gossip, Senator Adeola is occupied with something entirely foreign to the opposition: actual governance.
While Adebutu is stuck in a legal and administrative limbo, Yayi is casually rolling out achievements across Ogun West like a man who forgot there was even an election happening. In recent months, Yayi has turned the district into a massive construction site and empowerment hub. We are talking about the facilitated construction of major township roads, the distribution of multi-million naira entrepreneurial grants to thousands of youth and women and the provision of transformers to communities that had been in darkness since the PDP last held power nationally. Just recently, his massive educational intervention funds hit the accounts of indigent students across the state, alongside the distribution of laptops and science equipment to public schools.
The contrast is almost cruel. On one side of the state, you have Senator Yayi, a legislative powerhouse, effortlessly deploying his influence to bring tangible development to his constituents. On the other side, you have the PDP and Hon. Ladi Adebutu, stuck in a perpetual loop of confusion, trying to figure out which court case or administrative blunder cost them their spot on the ballot. One man is building roads; the other is writing angry letters to editors about puppets.
But the PDP’s press release reaches its comedic peak when it attempts to sound legally grand. It cites Section 158(1) of the Constitution, warning us about the “subversion of constitutional order” and a “brazen assault on our democratic principles.” It takes real talent to transition from “we read an unverified blog post” to “the republic is falling” in the span of three paragraphs. The document goes on to confidently declare that Adebutu remains the “most competent candidate” and will govern Ogun State in 2027 by the mandate of the people. One minor detail, though: to get the mandate of the people, your name generally needs to be printed on the ballot paper.
Ultimately, this press release is not about INEC’s independence or constitutional order. It is about a confused political party realising that the 2027 train is leaving the station and they are still standing on the platform arguing with the ticket collector.
Instead of chasing Yayi’s shadow and weeping over unverified quotes, the Ogun State PDP needs to sit down, take a deep breath, and locate their candidate’s missing paperwork. Because right now, the only dancing being done isn’t by INEC. It’s the PDP, dancing to the tune of their own administrative chaos, while Yayi continues to march forward, building his legacy one project at a time.
. Olatunji, a Political/Crisis Communication Strategist, writes from Ilaro, Ogun State
