2027: Alake endorses Adebutu for Ogun governorship

The Alake of Egbaland, Oba Adedotun Aremu Gbadebo, has publicly backed Oladipupo Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party's candidate for the 2027 Ogun State governorship election. The endorsement occurred during a visit by Adebutu and his campaign team to the Egba Traditional Council.

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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. This step you have taken, by the grace of God, you will never regret.

Oba Gbadebo lauded the Adebutu family for their long-standing generosity and commitment to Egbaland's development. He recounted an instance where Chief Kessington Adebutu, father of the PDP candidate, personally funded the purchase of a secretariat for an Egba association, allowing members to keep their contributions.

"Once again, I warmly welcome you, and I pray that you will never regret embarking on this journey," the monarch stated, offering prayers for Adebutu's ambition. He invoked a Yoruba proverb, suggesting that anyone opposing Adebutu's path would face misfortune.

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Once again, I warmly welcome you, and I pray that you will never regret embarking on this journey.

In response, Adebutu thanked the royal fathers for their support and pledged to strengthen grassroots governance by ensuring full financial autonomy for local governments if elected. He also advocated for innovative infrastructure development, emphasizing public-private partnerships for electricity and road projects, and stated that governments should move away from solely relying on borrowing for such initiatives.

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For electricity, we will pursue a strong partnership between the government and the private sector. You don’t borrow money for infrastructure anymore. I will construct roads that will improve connectivity between Ogun State and Lagos. Once we generate adequate electricity, you will see the income of our people increase while the cost of energy comes down.