…As Nawair-ud-deen Society leaders pray for PDP candidates, urge Muslim community’s support
The Deputy Governorship Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Hajia Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, has expressed confidence in her principal, Ladi Adebutu’s ambition to become governor in 2027, insisting that recent political developments, including the controversy surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) list, would not derail the party’s aspirations.
Sowunmi-Kolapo spoke on Friday after Jumat prayers at the headquarters of the Nawair-ud-deen Society in Abeokuta, where Islamic leaders offered prayers for her and Adebutu ahead of the election. The Chief Imam of the society in Abeokuta and Ogun State, Sheikh Tiamiyu Olamigoke, led other clerics in praying for the candidates’ success and the progress of the state. The gathering also featured calls for support for Sowunmi-Kolapo, who is the Iya Sunnah of Egbaland and Ameerah of Ogun State Muslims.
Addressing journalists, the PDP deputy governorship candidate expressed confidence that the controversy surrounding the INEC list would be resolved, describing the omission in question as unintended. She commended President Bola Tinubu for appointing Prof. Joash Amupitan as INEC chairman, expressing confidence in his integrity and the President’s commitment to free and fair elections.
Reacting to the jubilation among members of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) over the INEC list, Sowunmi-Kolapo dismissed their excitement as misplaced, describing it as a sign of anxiety ahead of the 2027 polls.
“They are ‘soon-to-be IDPs (Internally Displaced Politicians)’ exhibiting the symptoms of ‘IDPA (Impending Defeat Panic Attack),’” she said.
She maintained that the PDP’s campaign was driven by a determination to protect the interests of Ogun State indigenes, insisting that the state’s resources should be deployed for the benefit of its people.
“We will soon separate the wheat from the chaff. There is a difference between people who are fighting for their pockets or fighting to retain their juicy positions and those fighting to protect our heritage, in the interest of generations of true Ogun indigenes, who must not be relegated to second-class citizens by imported leaders,” she said.
Sowunmi-Kolapo added that an Adebutu-led PDP administration would prioritise citizens’ welfare and guarantee financial autonomy for local governments to promote accountability and effective grassroots service delivery. She identified these objectives as central to the party’s ITURA DE mandate.
Earlier, the Otun Iya Sunnah of Egbaland and Iya Sunnah of the Nawair-ud-deen Society, Alhaja Risikat Ogunfemi, urged the society, the Egba Muslim Community and Muslims across Ogun State to support Sowunmi-Kolapo and her principal.
Ogunfemi described the deputy governorship candidate as a source of pride to the Muslim community, expressing confidence that she would serve the people if elected alongside Adebutu.
The event ended with prayers by imams and Islamic scholars for the protection of the PDP candidates, their success in the 2027 election and the continued progress of Ogun State.
