Ogun voters 2027 are urged by the PDP to resist intimidation, protect their ballots and follow the electoral process through to collation
Oladipupo Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party’s governorship candidate in Ogun State, and Lateefat Sowunmi-Kolapo, his running mate, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, urged Ogun voters to remain vigilant and protect their ballots as the PDP formally launched its 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign in Ogun Central Senatorial District.
Also read: Yusuf Urges Northern Voters to Reject Vote Buying
The campaign train moved through Ifo/Ewekoro, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South federal constituencies before culminating in a rally at Ake Pavilion in Abeokuta, attracting large crowds of residents and party supporters.
At the rally, Adebutu, who chairs the campaign committee, called on supporters to vote for the PDP and remain committed to their choices throughout the electoral process.
He also urged voters to resist intimidation, presenting the ballot as a powerful means of expressing their dissatisfaction with the current administration.
“I therefore urge you all to make up your minds to reject this oppressive APC government with your votes,” Adebutu said. “Be ready to stand by your votes, resist intimidation and use the power of the ballot to say enough is enough to misgovernance and maladministration.”
The warning about remaining at polling units was reinforced by Sowunmi-Kolapo, who urged voters not to leave immediately after casting their ballots.
“After voting, don’t say that you are done and leave. Cast your vote and stay at the polling unit. Stand by your vote and follow the process to the collation centre,” she said.
“Do not be intimidated. The vote belongs to the people, so let’s come out and exercise our franchise.”
The message places particular emphasis on what happens after voting, when ballots are counted and results are collated.
The PDP’s appeal is political in nature, but its call for voters to monitor the process reflects a longstanding concern in Nigerian elections over the protection and transmission of polling-unit results.
The campaign launch began at Agbado Station in Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency, where residents gathered along the streets and adjoining buildings to welcome the party’s campaign team.
The procession later moved to NTA Junction in Totoro, Abeokuta North, where reports said supporters had gathered from about 10am.
The campaign train eventually reached Abeokuta South, with supporters following the convoy to Ake Pavilion.
Alongside Adebutu and Sowunmi-Kolapo was Professor Iyabo Obasanjo, the PDP’s candidate for Ogun Central Senatorial District.
Obasanjo, daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo, previously represented the district in the Senate between 2007 and 2011.
She also served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007.
Her return to the PDP followed a brief period with the All Progressives Congress.
She said her decision to seek the Senate seat again was driven by a desire to restore what she believes has been lost in the district since her previous tenure.
“My desire to take back our senatorial district to where it was when I represented it is the reason why I came back to the PDP and took up the challenge of restoring our lost glories,” Obasanjo said.
Adebutu subsequently urged Ogun Central residents to support Obasanjo, describing her as a tested and trusted candidate whose previous record had not been matched by subsequent representatives.
The PDP campaign also featured Toyin Amuzu, its House of Representatives candidate for Abeokuta South, and Dele Olaleye, the party’s candidate for Abeokuta North.
Their inclusion underscored the party’s effort to combine its presidential campaign with contests for legislative seats across the district.
Adebutu used the occasion to promise a return to what he described as better days under PDP leadership.
“I want to remind you that the best times of Nigeria have largely emerged under the leadership of our great party, the Peoples Democratic Party,” he said, citing the administration of former President Olusegun Obasanjo as an example.
He also promised supporters that “happy days are coming again” and called for a political change at the federal level.
The remarks form part of the PDP’s broader effort to present itself as an alternative to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s APC ahead of the 2027 elections.
The governing party remains the principal political force in Ogun State, making the PDP’s mobilisation effort particularly significant.
The opposition party’s campaign in Ogun Central is therefore not simply about generating crowds but about converting visible support into votes across the district’s three federal constituencies.
The size of the turnout reported by different outlets varied, with descriptions ranging from thousands to tens of thousands.
Those figures have not been independently verified, so the precise size of the crowd remains uncertain.
The campaign also comes as political activity intensifies across Ogun ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Candidates are increasingly using rallies and public engagements to establish their records, define their opponents and appeal directly to voters.
For the PDP, the emphasis in Ogun Central is clear: mobilise supporters, defend the party’s candidates and encourage voters to remain engaged beyond the moment they cast their ballots.
Also read: Yusuf Urges Northern Voters to Reject Vote Buying
Whether that message translates into electoral gains will ultimately depend on the choices made by Ogun residents when they vote.
