Yet Another Mountain in Ladi Adebutu’s Ambition

Ladi  Adebutu, the Ogun State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has not given up on his dream to be the next number one citizen of the state. He has been pursuing this dream with great determination and steadfastness. He has stayed true to his vow, just as he has so far stood with his people and refused to jettison his political ambition, even in the face of some upsetting challenges.

In Ogun politics today, his profile has been on the rise, even if some still don’t like some of his ways. Though his most sought-after office has eluded him since 2015, he remains an incurable optimist. The more hurdles he surmounted, the more problems rear their ugly heads. At different times, he had taken his campaigns to the nooks and crannies of the state and also expended so much money on his ambition.

But while the son of billionaire businessman, Kessington Adebutu is doing his possible best to be the next governor of the state, his archrival and factional governorship candidate of the party, Segun Sowunmi has, once again, thrown yet another spanner in his works.

A court has ruled in favour of Sowunmi, declaring that a fresh primary should be conducted.

Earlier in May, Sowunmi and Adebutu were declared winners in parallel governorship primary elections held in the state. That set tongues wagging in the state, with many accusing Sowunmi, who was the former spokesperson for Atiku Abubakar, as a political rookie whose only ambition is just to rumble the peaceful water of PDP in the state.

Many political observers in the state opined that the Abeokuta-born politician is just a paper tiger that has no political experience and financial war chest to snatch power from the incumbent governor, Dapo Abiodun.

A similar scenario played out in the 2019 election when the power play between the former lawmaker and the late Senator Buruji Kashamu was one of the major factors that cost him the victory. The disagreement would later metamorphose into a full-scale bitter political war, while the party structure was greatly upset.

Many in the state claimed that, though the Adebutu faction was more recognised by the national body of the party and also more popular with larger members, there was such acrimony over the control of the structure of the party in the state.

The rancour and hostility in PDP had cost him his ambition, thereby making it a smooth ride for Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC).

Today, many, especially those in Adebutu’s camp, are afraid that history is about to repeat itself.