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*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 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, describing him as a trustworthy and reliable politician.
Oba Gbadebo, while receiving the PDP flag bearer and his team who paid a courtesy visit at Ake Palace, Abeokuta, also lauded his determination to run for governorship of the state in the 2027 general elections.
“I am happy to introduce Oladipupo Adebutu to all of you as a reliable and trustworthy man,” he said. “May God be with you and continue to be by your side.”
Adebutu was accompanied to the palace by his running mate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, PDP senatorial candidate for Ogun Central, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo, and scores of party leaders and supporters.
In his welcoming remarks, Alake highlighted Adebutu’s record of service, stressing that the people of Egba can trust him based on his noble heritage and antecedents.
Oba Gbadebo recalled the philanthropic exploits of the father of the PDP candidate, Sir Kesington Adebutu, stressing that he had contributed immensely to the socio-economic development of the state and Nigeria at large.
He said he was, therefore, satisfied to present the PDP candidate to the Egba Traditional Council.
The Alake said: “I have been part of a particular club with Baba Adebutu for the last 30 years. In the beginning, we rented an apartment where we held our meetings. However, we agreed that such an arrangement was not suitable for our club.”
“At one point, a member generously offered us his home as a meeting place, but we remained adamant that we needed our own permanent secretariat.”
“Eventually, we found a building opposite Lagos City Hall and negotiated to buy it. When members started contributing to the costs, Baba Adebutu stood up and told us to keep the money we had paid. He paid for the building himself. This is Oladipupo Adebutu’s father.
“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 in Ijeun Akoni, near Osiele.
“I am pleased to present Oladipupo Adebutu to all of you as a reliable and trustworthy man. 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 chance for you, you will eat his funeral akara. Once again, I give you a warm welcome and pray that you will never regret taking this journey,” the monarch introduced.
Giving an idea of the rationale for the visit, PDP State Chairman, Hon. Abayomi Tella, said this was to promote the governorship candidate’s consultation with critical stakeholders in the state.
Tella noted that traditional rulers are closer to the grassroots and know the urgent challenges facing local government areas.
He lamented that significant development had eluded local governments in recent years under the All Progressives Congress (APC) administration, saying Adebutu was poised to generate good governance and financial autonomy for 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 build rural roads and provide services.
“When I was the local government chairman, I received about $200 million as allocation and we used the money to build roads within the local government and provide other services. But today, the current local government chairmen receive about ten times what we collected and yet they cannot boast of any road construction,” he said.
The President said he strongly believes in Adebutu’s advocacy for local government autonomy, stressing that the PDP candidate was ready to bring the desired development to Ogun State.
Also, PDP deputy governorship candidate, Alhaja Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, has called on her relatives to support her political aspiration, stressing that she has continued to support the development of Egbaland.
While commending the strong leadership of Alake and the Egba Traditional Council in the progress of the area, he assured that Adebutu, if elected, would not let them down.
Likewise, Senator Iyabo Obasanjo expressed confidence in Adebutu’s ability to deliver good governance to the people of the state, if elected.
She said after leaving the APC following her failed governorship bid, she realized that Adebutu has the vision and political will to actualize his 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 support the party in the interest of the people.
