The Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has urged its 2023 governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, to desist from acts that are capable of bringing the party into disrepute.

The party, in a statement issued in Abeokuta on Saturday by the State Publicity Secretary, Austin Oniyokor, quoted the State Chairman, Dr. Sikirulai Ogundele as saying, “The Party has noted with grave concern the tension and division that have been caused by the arranged conferment of the Asiwaju of Odogbolu chieftaincy title on one of our members and the 2023 governorship candidate of our Party, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, on Thursday, 31st October, 2024.

“Knowing the desperation of Hon. Adebutu for validation and his proclivity for mischief and vaingloriousness, the Party had advised that instead of wasting millions to procure a chieftaincy title at a time when many people in the community, like most Nigerians, could barely feed, he should have channeled such resources to some enduring and ennobling initiatives.

“Although we reckon that he has taken to our advice and promised to build a skill acquisition centre for the community, it was most embarrassing to learn that the Odogbolu Alaye-in-Council, Palace Chiefs and eminent community leaders were opposed to the arranged conferment of the Asiwaju of Odogbolu title on Hon. Adebutu and boycotted the ceremony. This, it was learnt, led to the event being held in the sitting room of the Alaye of Odogbolu, Oba Adedeji Olusegun Onagoruwa.

“Little wonder the pictures and videos that were shared only had Hon. Adebutu, his wife and their hangers-on. The sitting room was empty as there were no kingmakers and no palace chiefs; even eminent citizens from the town boycotted the event.

“Expectedly, this development has generated a lot of bad publicity and negative comments; most of which cannot be expressed without mentioning the name of our party. Thus, by his actions, Hon. Ladi Adebutu has comported himself in such a way as to bring our Party “into disrepute, hatred and contempt”, which is an offence punishable by reprimand, censure, fine, suspension and expulsion, among others, according to Article 58 (1) (b) and Article 59 (1).

“It is in the light of the foregoing that we would like to warn Hon. Ladi Adebutu to desist from actions that are capable of bringing our great Party into disrepute among the highly sophisticated people of Ogun State and in the eyes of right-thinking members of the society at large.”

It would be recalled that in the last eight months or so, Hon. Ladi Adebutu has attempted to claim more than four different towns in Ogun Central and West senatorial districts to pursue his 2027 gubernatorial ambition under the pretence that his great-grandfather traded along those routes before settling for Odogbolu, which he now claims to be his maternal home.

This is all in a bid to realise his governorship ambition having seen that his ambition would be dead on arrival if he were to contest from his Iperu-Remo community where he has lived all his life and played his politics like the incumbent, Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is serving his second term in office.