The Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has rolled out a seven-point development agenda tagged “ITURA DE,” pledging to restore local government autonomy, boost workers’ welfare, revamp the state’s economy, and strengthen social services if he wins the 2027 election.
Adebutu unveiled the plan on Wednesday at the formal flag-off of his campaign at the Ake palace ground in Abeokuta, calling it a blueprint for the socio-economic transformation of Ogun State.
Speaking to party leaders and supporters, Adebutu described his emergence as the PDP’s flagbearer as both an honour and a responsibility, and promised to place the welfare of Ogun residents at the heart of his administration. He framed the PDP as committed to “delivering true, tangible dividends of democracy” for the people.
The candidate took aim at successive administrations since 2011, accusing them of 15 years of economic hardship and poor governance. He contrasted this with the 2003–2011 tenure of former Governor Gbenga Daniel, which he credited with greater local government autonomy and grassroots development, saying the local economy “roared to life” under PDP policies at the time.
On workers’ welfare, Adebutu pledged to clear outstanding pensions and gratuities and review the state’s Contributory Pension Scheme, claiming some workers who retired from July 2025 were still unpaid. He vowed his administration would prioritise settling all verified obligations from day one in office.
The seven pillars of the ITURA DE agenda cover: security, law and order; local government financial autonomy and workers’ welfare; urban and regional development, physical planning and transportation; rural and border communities development; agriculture, economic and industrial development; women, youth and sports development; and education, healthcare and social services. He said these would be backed by five broader programmes on infrastructure, entrepreneurship, economic resilience, functional communities, and transparency in governance.
On security, Adebutu promised to protect farms, highways and communities from criminality while guaranteeing citizens’ freedom to support political parties of their choice without intimidation.
He also pledged to restore genuine financial and administrative autonomy to local governments, arguing this would create “20 additional nodes of development” across the state, again citing the Daniel administration as his model.
On the economy, Adebutu proposed using Public-Private Partnerships to fund major infrastructure projects, freeing up government resources for education and healthcare. He said agriculture and vocational training would anchor his youth empowerment strategy, with zero-interest loans for farmers and support through institutions like the Bank of Industry.
He further promised to review what he called “predatory” double taxation affecting traders and small businesses, pledging to ease the burden of doing business in the state.
Adebutu emphasised his three-decade-long ties to Ogun State through his business and personal history, vowing that his administration would return the PDP to “people-centric governance” and fight corruption.
His deputy governorship candidate, Yemi Showunmi-Kolapo, assured residents of quality leadership, while Ogun PDP Chairman Abayomi Tella urged the electorate to back Adebutu in exchange for improved governance and social amenities. Supporters at the event pledged their loyalty to the PDP ahead of the 2027 polls.
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