President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is said to be deeply unhappy with the “desperation” of some of his political associates, warning that their actions could tarnish the image and legacy of his administration.
CITYSPY reported, citing sources in the Presidential Villa, that the President is particularly worried about attempts to link his name to controversies surrounding the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the 2027 elections.
The concern reportedly followed the release of INEC’s final list of governorship candidates for Ogun State, which has stirred fresh political controversy.
The list has 13 governorship candidates. It includes Senator Solomon Olamilekan Adeola, popularly known as Yayi, as the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC), with Kudirat Abiodun Balogun as his running mate. Yayi is facing a perjury case and other legal issues.
However, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ticket of Ladi Adebutu and his running mate, Yemi Sowunmi-Kolapo, is missing from the list.
A senior APC source quoted in the report said the President is unhappy with efforts by political actors to associate him with moves that could make the electoral process look predetermined or manipulated.
“No one should continue to drop his name to advance their selfish ambitions,” the source was quoted as saying.
The source added that Tinubu wants his administration to be remembered for its commitment to democratic institutions and credible elections.
According to the report, people close to the President had drawn his attention to what they saw as an anomaly in the developments around the INEC list. The source said his concern deepened after reports that some political actors were allegedly celebrating the expected removal of names from the list before INEC published it.
INEC’s document does not state why Adebutu was left out. He has since questioned the omission, while the Ogun PDP has disputed claims about his eligibility and membership status.
The Villa sources suggested that Tinubu is especially concerned about political manoeuvres being attributed to him, or being used to create the impression that the Presidency is controlling the electoral process.
The reported warning comes at a sensitive time for the APC, which is already dealing with internal disagreements and intense political activity in several states ahead of 2027.
In Ogun, the question is no longer whether Yayi’s name is on the final list, as it is. What matters now is what becomes of Adebutu’s exclusion and whether the PDP candidate will challenge it through legal channels.
The battle over Ogun 2027 may have only just begun.
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