Ladi Adebutu and Iyabo Obasanjo lead the opposition party’s 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign launch across Ogun Central

The Peoples Democratic Party, led by its Ogun State governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, and Ogun Central senatorial candidate, Professor Iyabo Obasanjo, on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, launched the party’s 2027 presidential and National Assembly campaign in Ogun Central Senatorial District, drawing thousands of residents and supporters through Ifo/Ewekoro, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South.

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The PDP Ogun Central campaign began at Agbado Station in Ifo/Ewekoro Federal Constituency before moving through Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South, culminating in a rally at the Ake Palace Pavilion in Abeokuta. Multiple reports described a large turnout across the three federal constituencies. (Punch Newspapers)

Adebutu was accompanied by his running mate, Hajiya Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, Obasanjo and other party leaders as supporters lined the streets and gathered around campaign stops.

In Ifo/Ewekoro, residents were seen waving from streets and adjoining buildings as the campaign team passed through Agbado Station.

The campaign train later moved to Abeokuta North, where Architect Dele Olaleye, the PDP’s House of Representatives candidate, is seeking election. Supporters reportedly began gathering at NTA Junction, Totoro, from about 10am ahead of the candidates’ arrival. (Tribune Online)

A similar reception greeted the campaign team in Abeokuta South, where Toyin Amuzu is the party’s House of Representatives candidate. Supporters followed the convoy to the Ake Pavilion for the main Ogun Central flag-off rally.

At the rally, Adebutu urged voters to support Obasanjo, describing her as a tested and trusted politician whose previous representation of the district had established a record he said remained difficult to match.

He also presented the election as an opportunity for voters to reject what he described as poor governance under the ruling All Progressives Congress.

“I therefore urge you all to make up your mind to reject this oppressive APC government with your vote,” Adebutu said, while urging supporters to protect their votes and resist intimidation.

He further told the crowd that the PDP could restore what he described as better times for Nigerians.

“Happy days are coming again, very, very soon. In January, a new dawn will break for the betterment of our people,” he said. (Punch Newspapers)

Obasanjo, meanwhile, sought to reconnect her current campaign with her previous record in public office.

The former senator represented Ogun Central between 2007 and 2011 and previously served as Ogun State Commissioner for Health from 2003 to 2007, according to reports from the campaign. (Punch Newspapers)

She said residents had continued to remind her of the work carried out during her earlier representation, adding that her desire to return to the Senate was driven by a determination to restore what she regarded as lost ground in the district.

“My desire to take back our senatorial district to where it was when I represented it is reason why I came back to the PDP, and take up the challenge of restoring our lost glories,” Obasanjo said. (Blueprint Newspapers Limited)

Obasanjo’s return to the PDP is one of the notable developments shaping the party’s campaign in Ogun.

The daughter of former President Olusegun Obasanjo resigned from the APC in June and subsequently rejoined the PDP, where she was presented as the party’s Ogun Central senatorial candidate. Her return was accompanied by a procession through parts of Abeokuta before her formal presentation at the PDP secretariat. (Punch Newspapers)

The campaign launch therefore represents an important early test of the opposition party’s ability to translate renewed political activity into grassroots mobilisation in Ogun Central.

The district covers three federal constituencies, namely Ifo/Ewekoro, Abeokuta North and Abeokuta South, giving the PDP campaign a broad platform to engage voters ahead of the 2027 polls.

The timing is also significant. The Independent National Electoral Commission currently lists January 16, 2027 as the date for the presidential and National Assembly elections, with the governorship and State House of Assembly elections scheduled for February 6, 2027. (INEC Nigeria)

The PDP’s early mobilisation comes amid intensifying political activity across Nigeria as major parties begin positioning their candidates, structures and campaign messages ahead of the elections.

For the Ogun PDP, Adebutu’s governorship bid will also be closely watched. He contested the 2023 governorship election in the state for the PDP and is again seeking to challenge the ruling political structure in 2027.

The party is seeking to turn public concerns over governance, living costs and economic hardship into electoral support, while its candidates are also leaning heavily on claims of previous performance and experience.

For Obasanjo, the campaign provides an opportunity to revive her political presence in Ogun Central after her movement from the PDP to the APC and subsequent return to the opposition party earlier this year. (The Guardian Nigeria)

The Wednesday mobilisation offered the PDP an encouraging opening, with supporters pledging loyalty to the party and promising to vote for its candidates.

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Whether the sizeable crowds translate into votes, however, will depend on the party’s ability to sustain its grassroots organisation, present credible policies and maintain voter engagement as the 2027 election approaches.