The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on Sunday described the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, as a dependable and trustworthy politician during a visit by the PDP flagbearer and party leaders to the Ake Palace in Abeokuta.
Adebutu, who was at the palace to seek the blessings and support of the Egba Traditional Council ahead of the 2027 governorship election, was accompanied by his running mate, Lateefat Sowunmi-Kolapo; the PDP senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Iyabo Obasanjo; the Ogun State PDP Chairman, Abayomi Tella; alongside other party leaders and candidates.
Welcoming the delegation, Oba Gbadebo reflected on his decades-long relationship with Adebutu’s father, renowned businessman and philanthropist Sir Kensington Adebutu, saying the elder statesman’s generosity reflected the values of the family.
“I have belonged to a particular club with Baba Adebutu for the past 30 years.
“In our early days, we rented an apartment where we held our meetings. However, we agreed that such an arrangement was not befitting of our club,” the monarch said.
The royal father recounted how members of the club sought to purchase a permanent secretariat but encountered financial challenges before Sir Kensington stepped in.
“Eventually, we found a building opposite the City Hall in Lagos and negotiated to purchase it. As members began contributing towards the cost, Baba Adebutu stood up and told us to keep the money we had contributed. He single-handedly paid for the building. That is the father of Oladipupo Adebutu,” he said.
The monarch said he believed the PDP governorship candidate had inherited the same admirable qualities as his father.
“The son of a lion must resemble the lion. In fact, he is an even better version of his father.
“I welcome you to Egbaland. Your grandfather was buried at Ijeun Akoni, near Osiele. I am pleased to present Oladipupo Adebutu to all of you as a man who is trustworthy and reliable. May God be with you and continue to stand by you. Once again, I warmly welcome you, and I pray that you will never regret embarking on this journey,” the monarch said.
Speaking during the visit, Adebutu pledged to ensure financial autonomy for local government councils if elected governor in 2027.
“I will do something that will stun this nation and put us in the right direction. Local governments shall get their own money.
“We must make sure we get local government autonomy. I have been reiterating to you that I, Oladipupo Olatunde, son of Adebutu, was at the National Assembly twice, and I can boast that I didn’t embezzle public funds. How many politicians can say this?” he said.
The PDP candidate alleged that governors, irrespective of political affiliation, had continued to divert funds meant for local government councils.
“It’s not a party thing. Both APC and PDP, all the governors are embezzling local government allocations. It’s not a secret,” he alleged.
According to him, local councils recorded greater development when they had unrestricted access to their statutory allocations.
“When PDP was in power and local governments were getting their funds, there were developments, and they carried monarchs along in the scheme of things,” he said.
Adebutu also advocated alternative funding options for infrastructure projects instead of depending on loans, while promising to improve road connectivity between Ogun State and neighbouring Lagos.
“You don’t borrow money for infrastructure anymore,” he said.
He further pledged to improve electricity supply through partnerships with private investors, arguing that stable power would drive economic activities and generate employment.
The PDP candidate claimed to have personally donated over 600 electricity transformers to communities across Ogun State.
“I can say categorically that I have distributed more transformers to communities across the state than the government has done,” he said.
“Any day we install a transformer in any community, it ceases to be mine. It becomes the property of the electricity distribution company, and I haven’t stopped because of that.
“Because I believe with electricity, it’s a direct empowerment for everybody. It is either saving you money that you will spend or it is helping you to make money,” he added.
Reaffirming his commitment to public service, Adebutu declared, “I offer myself for service.”
Earlier, the Ogun State PDP Chairman, Abayomi Tella, criticised the ruling All Progressives Congress, saying the state had witnessed little meaningful development under its administration.
He also endorsed Adebutu’s plan to grant financial autonomy to local governments, expressing confidence in the PDP candidate’s readiness to lead the state.
Also addressing the gathering, the deputy governorship candidate, Sowunmi-Kolapo, urged the people of Egbaland to support the PDP ticket, assuring them that an Adebutu-led administration would justify their confidence if elected.
