2027: Ogun PDP leader disowns lawyer over INEC petition

A chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Peter Topa, has denied seeking the party’s governorship ticket for the 2027 election, alleging that his name was used without his knowledge in a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Topa, who leads the Olorunsogo community in Ilara, Imeko-Afon Local Government Area, said he neither purchased a governorship nomination form nor authorised anyone to represent him in a dispute over the final list of candidates for the February 6, 2027 election.

The controversy followed reports that a lawyer, Anderson Asemota of Neplus Ultra Attorneys, had written to INEC demanding an explanation for the omission of Topa’s name from the commission’s final list of governorship candidates.

In the letter dated October 14, 2026, the lawyer reportedly gave the electoral commission 48 hours to address the matter and threatened legal action, describing Topa as his client and the PDP’s duly nominated candidate.

INEC’s final list, published on October 10, excluded the name of Oladipupo Adebutu, who emerged as the PDP’s governorship candidate in Ogun State.

Speaking in a statement, Topa said he was surprised to discover that newspaper publications had identified him as a governorship aspirant, insisting that he had no intention of contesting the election.

He alleged that the development occurred after the All Progressives Congress (APC) chairman in Imeko-Afon, Ramoni Adebolu, and other APC chieftains approached him with what they described as a political offer.

According to Topa, the meeting took place in his hometown of Ilara, where the politicians told him that the position being discussed was under the PDP but did not clearly explain its nature.

He said he rejected the offer and was subsequently shocked to see his name published as a governorship aspirant.

Topa also denied having any relationship with Asemota, saying he had never met or spoken with the lawyer and did not authorise him to submit a petition on his behalf.

He called for an investigation into how his name was used and how documents were allegedly submitted to INEC without his consent.

The PDP chieftain further denied collecting money from the individuals he mentioned and expressed concern over reports that a petition had been written in his name without his authorisation.

He reaffirmed his loyalty to the PDP, saying he had been a member of the party since its formation in 1998 and had never defected to another political party.

Adebolu, however, denied Topa’s allegations regarding the purpose of their meeting. He said he had approached Topa and others to persuade them to join the APC as part of efforts to strengthen the ruling party in the local government.

The APC chairman maintained that their discussions centred on persuading them to defect and that he knew nothing about the publication identifying Topa as a PDP governorship aspirant.

Topa appealed to INEC, security agencies and other relevant authorities to investigate the circumstances surrounding the reported petition and ensure the safety of him and his family.