*You are a better version of your father. Whoever says there will be no way for you, you will eat their funeral akara
The Alake and Paramount Ruler of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Gbadebo, on Sunday, hailed the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, describing him as a trustworthy and reliable politician.
Oba Gbadebo, while receiving the PDP standard bearer and his team who paid a courtesy visit at the Ake Palace, Abeokuta, also lauded his determination to run for governorship of the state in the 2027 general elections.
“I am pleased to present Oladipupo Adebutu to all of you as a man who is trustworthy and reliable,” he stated. “May God be with you and continue to stand by you.”
Adebutu was accompanied to the palace by his running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, the PDP senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, and scores of party chieftains and stalwarts.
In his welcome remarks, the Alake underscored the record of service of Adebutu, noting that Egba people can trust him based on his noble heritage and antecedents.
Oba Gbadebo recalled the philanthropic exploits of the PDP candidate’s father, Sir Kesington Adebutu, stressing that he had contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the state and Nigeria in general.
He said he was, therefore, pleased to present the PDP candidate to the Egba Traditional Council.
The Alake said, “I have belonged to a particular club with Baba Adebutu for the past 30 years. In our early days, we rented an apartment where we held our meetings. However, we agreed that such an arrangement was not befitting of our club.”
“At one point, a member generously offered us his house as our meeting venue, but we remained resolute that we needed a permanent secretariat of our own.”
“Eventually, we found a building opposite the City Hall in Lagos and negotiated to purchase it. As members began contributing towards the cost, Baba Adebutu stood up and told us to keep the money we had contributed. He single-handedly paid for the building. That is the father of Oladipupo Adebutu.
“The son of a lion must resemble the lion. In fact, he is an even better version of his father. I welcome you to Egbaland. Your grandfather was buried at Ijeun Akoni, near Osiele.
“I am pleased to present Oladipupo Adebutu to all of you as a man who is trustworthy and reliable. May God be with you and continue to stand by you.”
“This step you have taken, by the grace of God, you will never regret. Whoever says there will be no way for you, you will eat their funeral akara. Once again, I warmly welcome you, and I pray that you will never regret embarking on this journey,” the monarch submitted.
Giving insight into the rationale for the visit, the state PDP Chairman, Hon. Abayomi Tella, said it was in furtherance of the governorship candidate’s consultation with critical stakeholders in the state.
Tella noted that traditional rulers are closer to the grassroots and know the pressing challenges confronting local government areas.
He lamented that meaningful development had eluded the local governments in recent years under the administration of All Progressives Congress (APC), saying Adebutu was prepared to engender good governance and financial autonomy for the councils.
Tella, a former Chairman of Ado-Odo/Ota Local Government, insisted that the local government system had collapsed, with many council chairmen in the state unable to construct rural roads and provide amenities.
“When I was local government chairman, I was receiving about N200 million as allocation and we used the money to build roads within the local government and provide other amenities. But today, the current local government chairmen are receiving about times ten of what we used to collect and yet, they cannot boast of any road construction,” he said.
The Chairman said he strongly believes in Adebutu’s advocacy for local government autonomy, stressing that the PDP candidate was prepared to bring desired development to Ogun State.
Also speaking, the PDP deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, called on her kinsmen to support her political aspiration, noting that she has continued to support the development of Egbaland.
While commending the strong leadership of Alake and Egba Traditional Council in the progress of the zone, she assured that Adebutu, if elected, would not disappoint them.
In the same vein, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo expressed confidence in Adebutu’s capacity to deliver good governance to the people of the state if elected.
She said that after leaving the APC following her unsuccessful governorship bid, she came to realise that Adebutu has the vision and political will to actualise her own agenda for the people.
Obasanjo further noted that no political party has a more formidable team in Egba land than the PDP, urging Egba monarchs to throw their weight behind the party in the interest of the people.
