Receiving Certificate of Return authenticate my elections as Ogun PDP candidate – Adebutu

By Tunde Opalana

Hon. Ladipupo Adebutu, governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State on Tuesday said he has been vindicated by the party as the true winner of the party’s ticket.

The Daily Times recalled that a parallel governorship primary election was conducted in Ogun State which produced Mr. Segun Showumi, DailyTimes gathered.

However, officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) monitored the election which produced Adebutu and he was authenticated as PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State.

Adebutu was presented Certificate of Returns alongside other 25 governorship candidates by PDP national chairman, Iyorchia Ayu at the party’s secretariat, Abuja on Tuesday.

Speaking with journalists, the governorship candidate said “the PDP has constituted, empowered a panel that was supervised, observed by INEC in accordance with laws of the land, the electoral law and this process has been found to be transparent and good enough to be authenticated today to have produced a candidate for Ogun states and this certificate certify such. This is the first time we have had such in Ogun state for a while.”

Adebutu, however, said his victory is for the party and as such, he is ready to reconcile all aggrieved members of the party to ensure the PDP goes into the election proper as a formidable team to dislodged APC administration in Ogun State.

He said ” It is now a duty for all concerned to go forward and do reconciliation and I can assure you that we have already embarked on that duty. We will continue to reach out to those that feel that they have a grouse.

“Am sure that with time, we shall have total reconciliation and we shall even extend hands of fellowship beyond the party and make it an intra party thing. Because we can even see fellow brothers from other parties trying to join our party now and am sure that after their convention, we shall be welcoming them”.

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An elated Adebutu said the occasion is a reward for all his labour for the party in the past.

He said “we are grateful to God that we are rewarded today. We know the journey is too far. We still have many odds to across and we’re not perturbed by the job ahead because we are driven by needs to set our people free from the shackles of mis governance.

“We take this as a challenge to work harder and we’re particularly grateful that our people and the party for the platform. PDP has given us this opportunity to go forward and rescue our state”.