Ogun 2027: Adebutu’s PDP Membership Register Controversy Deepens
ABEOKUTA — Fresh controversy has emerged over the 2027 Ogun State governorship race following a claim by the Ogun Democratic Accountability Forum (ODAF) that the name of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate Ladi Adebutu is missing from the party’s membership register submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
ODAF said it obtained what it described as a Certified True Copy (CTC) of the PDP membership register from INEC and claimed that Adebutu’s name was not contained in the document. The group subsequently questioned whether the omission could affect his eligibility to participate in the PDP’s nomination process.
The allegation has gained attention because of the Supreme Court’s September 24, 2026 decision restoring Sections 77(5), 77(6), 77(7) and 84(2) of the Electoral Act 2026. The provisions deal, among other matters, with membership registers and the conduct of political party nomination exercises.
Section 77(5), as reported following the Supreme Court judgment, provides that only members whose names appear on the relevant register are eligible to vote or be voted for at party primaries, congresses and conventions. Section 77(6) also restricts parties from using a different register for such exercises.
ODAF argued that these provisions make the register submitted to INEC a central document in determining participation in party nomination exercises. It therefore urged the electoral commission to preserve the register submitted within the statutory period and ensure that no retrospective alteration is made.
The group also linked its argument to the PDP’s prolonged leadership dispute. The Supreme Court on April 30, 2026 nullified the party’s November 2025 Ibadan national convention that produced the Tanimu Turaki-led faction, following litigation over the conduct of the convention.
However, the Ogun State PDP has rejected the allegation against Adebutu. The party’s Publicity Secretary, Kayode Adebayo, said Adebutu remained a duly registered and financially active member of the party and insisted that the PDP complied with the applicable legal requirements concerning membership registration and submission of its register to INEC.
The PDP described the allegation as baseless and politically motivated, while maintaining that Adebutu’s nomination remains intact and that he remains eligible to contest the 2027 governorship election.
The conflicting positions have therefore shifted the issue from a political allegation to a question that can ultimately be tested against the official membership records held by INEC and the applicable provisions of the Electoral Act.
For now, ODAF maintains that the CTC in its possession establishes its claim, while the PDP maintains that Adebutu is properly registered and eligible. Neither position, by itself, establishes a judicial determination of Adebutu’s eligibility.
The controversy adds another legal and political dimension to the increasingly competitive Ogun 2027 governorship race, with attention now focused on the membership records, nomination procedures and the interpretation of the Electoral Act as the election approaches.
