Media Aide to the Peoples Democratic Party governorship candidate in Ogun State, Hon Oladipupo Adebutu, Afolabi Orekoya, has said the former lawmaker will pay outstanding pensions and gratuities owed workers and retirees in the state if elected governor in 2027.
Orekoya stated this while appearing on Eagle 102.5 FM’s Frontline, where he outlined the policy direction of the Adebutu campaign and explained the candidate’s proposed ‘ITURADE’ agenda for Ogun State. He said Adebutu would prioritise workers’ welfare and address the pension burden confronting retirees in the state.
According to Orekoya, Adebutu would remove the Contributory Pension Scheme and immediately begin addressing outstanding gratuities and pension obligations. He specifically said the candidate would pay outstanding gratuities and pensions allegedly owed since July 2025 if elected governor.
“Hon Oladipupo Adebutu on the day of the flag-raising of the campaign, said the CPS, which is the Contributory Pensions Scheme, will be taken off and he will ensure that all the workers, all the retirees that have been denied their pensions since July 2025, if the people ogun state will give him the opportunity to be the Governor of Ogun state, that the first thing he is going to ensure is the immediate payment of all these gratuities and pensions” he said.
He added that Adebutu would not treat the welfare of workers and retirees as an issue that could be postponed indefinitely, arguing that people who had served the state deserved to receive their entitlements.
The pension and workers’ welfare proposal forms part of the broader ITURADE agenda presented by Orekoya as Adebutu’s development framework for Ogun State.
According to the PDP aide, ITURADE is structured around seven broad areas of governance and development.
The “ITURADE” Agenda
I — Improved Security, Law and Order
The first component of the ITURADE agenda is improved security, law and order.
Orekoya said the Adebutu administration would place security at the centre of governance, with the objective of creating a safer environment for residents, businesses and investors.
The agenda, as explained by the PDP aide, recognises security as a foundation for economic activity and community development.
“Ogun State will be a brand new state if we are given that opportunity and it is well-structured through the Iturade focal points and these points are, one, ‘I’ is to talk about the security and law order of Ogun State which is improved security, law and order”
T — True Local Government Financial Autonomy and Workers’ Welfare
The second component is true local government financial autonomy and workers’ welfare. Orekoya said Adebutu would grant local governments genuine financial autonomy within the first 100 days of his administration if elected. He identified this as one of the three specific commitments voters should hold the candidate accountable for.
“T has to do with the true local government financial autonomy and workers’ welfare. We have said this, that true local government autonomy has been something that Hon Adebutu has been clamoring for. I will challenge Oladipupo Adebutu that if elected as the governor, in 100 days, I wil ask him how has he gone with local government autonomy?
Orekoya argued that local governments should have the resources and authority to respond to the needs of their communities rather than depend excessively on the state government.
U — Urban and Regional Development, Physical Planning and Transportation
The third component is urban and regional development, physical planning and transportation. Orekoya said Adebutu’s agenda would address the development of Ogun’s urban areas, regional planning and transportation.
He linked the proposal to the need for better-planned communities and infrastructure that can support the state’s growing population and economic activities.
“On the U, we talk about urban regional developments, physical planning and transportation. You will see the way most of our urban areas are. The planning has to be checked and also particularly, we talk about the way social amenities are made available. If you are going from the stretch of Sagamu Interchange to Lagos, you will see on both sides that that place belongs to the Obafemi Owode local government. I want to tell you the biggest ward in the Obafemi Owode local government, which is ofada ward, has about 136 polling units. As big as it is, I want to tell you that there is no school. There is no health center. It is a terrible situation,” he lamented.
He also added that the administration would pursue major infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships where appropriate.
R — Rural and Border Communities Development
The fourth component is rural and border communities development. Orekoya said Adebutu would pay particular attention to communities located in rural and border areas that he said had often been left behind in development planning. He said the proposed administration would establish a development authority focused on border communities.
“R there in ITURADE stands for rural and border communities development, which has to do with the development of our border communities. If you also go to all these border communities that we have in ogun State, there is no presence of government in these areas. Their roads are in terrible shape and no planning, nothing. So the idea of Oladipupo Adebutu is to create a border community authority or commission that will focus majorly on the development of these border communities and ensure that government has good presence in these areas”
According to him, such communities require targeted interventions because of their strategic importance to trade, agriculture, security and the broader economy of the state.
A — Agricultural, Economic and Industrial Development
The fifth component is agricultural, economic and industrial development.
Orekoya said Adebutu would focus on strengthening agriculture, supporting farmers and expanding economic opportunities for residents. He said the candidate would provide grants and zero-interest loans to farmers and support the development of storage facilities.
The PDP aide said the objective would be to increase agricultural production while reducing losses that occur because of inadequate storage and market infrastructure.
“A is agricultural, economic, and industrial development. Of course, we need to have a lot of industrial development. We need to have a lot of economic development and agricultural development. There are a lot of plans,” the PDP aide assured.
He also highlighted Adebutu’s proposed approach to industrial and economic development, saying the administration would seek to create an environment where businesses could thrive and residents could access employment and entrepreneurial opportunities.
Orekoya also spoke about Adebutu’s private-sector experience and claimed that the candidate operates a farm employing more than 3,000 people in Ogun State.
D — Development of Women, Youth and Sports
The sixth component is the development of women, youth and sports.
Orekoya said women and young people would be included in the state’s development strategy, with opportunities for economic participation and empowerment.
He also identified sports as an area that would receive attention under the proposed administration.
“The D Stands for development of women, youth, and sports, of course, he is a lover of the youth, is a lover of our mothers, and also a lover of sports. So there are a lot of plans that we have,” he said.
The agenda, he said, is designed to ensure that development programmes extend beyond physical infrastructure to human capital and social development.
E — Enhancement of Education, Healthcare and Social Services
The seventh component is the enhancement of education, healthcare and social services.
Orekoya said Adebutu would prioritise improvements in education and healthcare while strengthening social services.
He linked the proposed interventions to the broader objective of improving the quality of life of Ogun residents.
“The E is enhancement of education, health care, and other social services. When we have the public-private partnership program in place, we’ll have more money to be able to take care of education, to take care of the health care,” he assured.
He also said the candidate would focus on functional and accessible social services rather than simply announcing projects without considering their impact on residents.
Beyond the ITURADE framework, Orekoya identified electricity as one of the major areas where Adebutu intends to make a significant intervention. He said Adebutu would work towards ensuring that Ogun State generates its own electricity instead of depending entirely on the national grid.
“I can tell you for free and I’m saying it with all confidence, with all sense of responsibility that Hon Oladipupo Adebutu if elected as governor of ogun state, is going to ensure that Ogun State generates its own power, has various power opportunities for people to be able to enjoy electricity because that has always been his major concern and major area of interest.”
According to him, discussions were already being held with foreign organisations regarding power generation opportunities.
“I can tell you that he’s already in discussion with some foreign organizations that can actually advise on how we can generate power and electricity in Ogun State and ensure that our people have opportunities to benefit from this.”
He identified electricity as one of the three commitments that voters should specifically hold Adebutu accountable for if he becomes governor.
Orekoya also said Adebutu would pursue major infrastructure projects through public-private partnerships.
He said the administration would not allow the distinction between federal and state roads to prevent the government from addressing roads that affect the people of Ogun State.
According to him, an Adebutu administration would work with the Federal Government on federal roads while also using other financing arrangements, including PPP, to deliver major infrastructure.
The PDP aide also claimed that Adebutu had personally donated more than 700 transformers across Ogun State.
He said the candidate had invested in communities even before the 2027 election and argued that his record of intervention should be considered alongside his campaign promises.
“Before now, he has been doing a lot of things to ensure he impact lives. If someone can from his own personal purse, donate over 700 transformers across Ogun State, then you know what we are talking about,”
Orekoya maintained that Adebutu’s proposed electricity programme would go beyond individual transformer donations by establishing a broader power-generation framework for the state.
