Chasing the Crown: Adebutu’s Make-or-Break Moment

It started, as these things often do in Ogun politics, as a whisper. Then it grew teeth. From Iperu to Abeokuta, from Sagamu to Ijebu-Ode, the quiet conversations have become firmer, more deliberate: Hon. Ladi Adebutu is preparing, once again, for the governorship race.

For those who know him well, this is no surprise.

To understand Adebutu is to understand a man long consumed by a singular ambition — to preside over the affairs of Ogun State. Over the years, the former lawmaker has invested time, energy, political capital and vast resources in pursuit of the Ogun top job. Yet, like a crown placed just beyond reach, the governorship has eluded him twice.

The question now reverberating across the state is simple but heavy: will the third attempt finally break the jinx? In 2019, Adebutu appeared poised for triumph. Many observers regarded him as one of the most prepared aspirants in the race. He had built networks, consolidated structures and positioned himself as a serious contender under the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

The late political warhorse Buruji Kashamu emerged as a formidable internal obstacle. What followed was a bruising struggle for control of the party machinery — a battle that fractured the PDP’s base and sowed seeds of deep division. The internal war weakened the party’s cohesion at a critical moment, diluting its electoral strength. While the opposition licked its wounds, Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress capitalised on the disarray and secured victory. If 2019 was painful, 2023 was devastating.

Having learned from his earlier missteps, Adebutu returned to the trenches with renewed vigour. He toured communities, reconnected with stakeholders and worked to reposition himself as the alternative voice for Ogun’s future. Many believed he had matured politically and strategically.

But once again, turbulence in the PDP  surfaced again. Party infighting and factional grievances reportedly hampered his campaign momentum.

The result was another defeat at the polls — a loss that insiders say left him deeply shaken, especially considering the enormous financial and emotional investment poured into the campaign. Rather than retreat into silence, he has reportedly returned to strategic consultations, recalibrating alliances and reassessing what went wrong — twice.

This is where the 2027 calculation becomes intriguing.

And as the whispers grow louder, one thing is clear: Hon. Adebutu is not done yet.