OGUN 2027: HOW APC TRIED TO MAKE ME A PDP ASPIRANT, PROMISED ME CAR, CASH, APPOINTMENT— TOPA PETER

The controversy surrounding the alleged purchase of a Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship nomination form in Ogun State has taken a dramatic turn, with the party chieftain at the centre of the storm, Topa Olusegun Peter, alleging that officials of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) offered him money, a car, and a political appointment in a bid to use his name to create confusion within the opposition party.

The allegation, made at a press briefing in Abeokuta on Saturday, October 17, 2026, has transformed what initially appeared to be an internal PDP crisis into a serious accusation of political sabotage against the ruling party.

THE ALLEGATION: APC OFFERED ME MONEY, CAR, APPOINTMENT

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Peter, the Baale of Olorunsogo, Ilara, in Imeko-Afon Local Government Area of Ogun State, narrated how the alleged plot began.

According to him, the Chairman of the APC in Imeko-Afon Local Government, Ramoni Adebolu, alongside some other APC chieftains, approached him with a political offer.

The meeting, he said, took place in his hometown, Ilara.

“They informed me that the position was under the PDP but did not explain its exact nature,” Peter stated. “But I told them there and then that I was not interested because such could only come from my party, the PDP”.

Peter said he rejected the offer outright. He then alleged that after his name subsequently appeared in newspaper publications as a PDP governorship aspirant, an aspiration he knew nothing about, he contacted Adebolu for clarification.

It was then, he claimed, that the APC chairman told him to remain calm and promised him financial benefits and a car. Adebolu allegedly further assured him of a major political appointment after the emergence of Senator Solomon Adeola (Yayi) as the APC’s governorship candidate.

“For the avoidance of doubt, I did not collect any money from the individuals mentioned in this statement,” Peter added, preempting any suggestion that he had accepted the alleged inducement.

“I NEVER PURCHASED ANY FORM”

Peter was categorical in denying any involvement in the governorship race.

“I was shocked and deeply surprised to discover that my name had appeared in newspaper publications as a governorship aspirant under the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), an aspiration I know absolutely nothing about,” he said .

“I wish to emphasise here, again, that I never purchased a governorship nomination form, signed any document expressing an intention to contest the governorship election, or authorised anyone to act on my behalf in this regard”.

THE PETITION HE NEVER AUTHORISED

The controversy deepened with reports that a lawyer, Anderson Asemota of Neplus Ultra Attorneys, had written a petition to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Peter’s behalf, demanding that the commission publish his name as a governorship aspirant within 48 hours.

Peter denied any knowledge of the lawyer or the petition. “I have never spoken with or met the lawyer, Anderson Asemota of Neplus Ultra Attorneys, alleged to have written the petition on my behalf,” he said.

He called for a thorough investigation into how documents were submitted in his name without his consent, and into the identity of those who initiated the correspondence.

A PATTERN OF APC INTERFERENCE

Peter’s allegations do not exist in isolation. They come against the backdrop of the omission of the PDP’s actual governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, from INEC’s final list, an omission the PDP has consistently blamed on pressure from the APC.

The APC has repeatedly denied the allegation, with the Chairman of its Campaign Council Media and Publicity Committee, Kayode Odunaro, dismissing the PDP’s claims as a “childish blame game.” “How can anyone now attribute the failure of PDP to follow through on simple administrative procedures and adherence to rules of the game as pressure from APC on INEC leading to the non-listing of their candidate as a contestant?” Odunaro had said.

But Peter’s account suggests a different strategy: not merely pressuring INEC to omit Adebutu, but actively manufacturing a rival “PDP aspirant” to muddy the waters and create the impression that the PDP’s candidate selection was in disarray.

If Peter’s allegations are true, the APC’s involvement goes beyond passive denial into active interference in the internal affairs of the opposition party.

THE SAFETY CONCERNS

Peter did not limit his statement to the political allegations. He also raised concerns about the safety of his family.

He appealed to security agencies and other relevant authorities to intervene and ensure their protection, suggesting that he fears reprisals for speaking out .

“I therefore call for a thorough investigation into how my name came to be used in this manner and how documents were submitted in my name without my knowledge,” he said.

THE APC’S SILENCE

As of the time of this report, the APC has not responded to Peter’s specific allegations against its Imeko-Afon Local Government chairman, Ramoni Adebolu.

The party’s previous statements have focused on denying responsibility for Adebutu’s omission and accusing the PDP of internal dysfunction. Peter’s allegations require a different response: a direct denial or confirmation of whether Adebolu and other APC officials approached him with an offer.

The silence leaves the allegations unanswered.

WHY IT MATTERS

This is no longer a story about a nomination form. It is a story about the lengths to which political actors may go to manipulate the electoral process.

If Peter is telling the truth, then the APC in Ogun State attempted to use a PDP chieftain as a pawn, offering him inducements to pose as a governorship aspirant, manufacturing a petition to INEC in his name, and creating the false impression that the PDP’s ticket was contested.

The objective would have been to confuse the electorate, undermine Adebutu’s candidacy, and provide cover for the omission from INEC’s list.

The PDP has already accused the APC of pressuring INEC. Peter’s statement provides a specific, named account of how that pressure may have been operationalised on the ground.

For the people of Ogun State, the implications are serious. If the ruling party is willing to manufacture candidates and forge petitions, what does that say about the integrity of the 2027 election?

For the APC, the allegations demand a response. Silence will be interpreted as guilt.

ValidViewNetwork reports that Peter has called for an investigation and raised concerns about his family’s safety. The APC has not responded to the specific allegations. The 2027 governorship election in Ogun State is scheduled for February 6, 2027.