A faction of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in Ogun State has rejected the announcement of Jimi Lawal, a former aide to ex-Kaduna State governor Mallam Nasir El-Rufai, as the winner of the party’s governorship primary, insisting instead that Dr. Biodun Ogundipe, an artificial intelligence expert based in Canada, emerged victorious.
The faction, led by Emmanuel Famojuro, condemned what it described as an “unauthorised publication” claiming that one Adebimpe Adelowo had declared Lawal the winner of the exercise.
In a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday and signed by its Publicity Secretary, Olumide Onabajo, the party said Adelowo’s action was null and void, arguing that he was not a member of the committee saddled with the responsibility of conducting the governorship primary in the state.
“The attention of the African Democratic Congress, Ogun State Chapter, has been drawn to a misleading and unauthorised publication claiming that one Adebimpe Adelowo announced Jimi Lawal as the winner of the Ogun State Governorship Primary Election,” the statement reads in part.
“We hereby state categorically that the said announcement is null, void, misleading and of no effect whatsoever.”
Adelowo, identified as the Secretary of the Ogun State Primary Election Committee set up by the party leadership, had on Monday at the state party secretariat announced Lawal as the winner of the party’s governorship primary after polling 19,428 votes to defeat Ogundipe, who scored 5,775 votes, and Dr. Marie Odusina, who had 4,825 votes.
But the Famojuro-led faction dismissed the entire exercise.
“For the avoidance of doubt, Adebimpe Adelowo was not a member of the duly constituted electoral committee sent to Ogun State by the national leadership of our great party to conduct the governorship primary election,” the party stated.
“Therefore, he lacks the authority, legitimacy and constitutional backing to announce any result on behalf of the party.”
The faction insisted that its authentic governorship primary election was peacefully and successfully conducted across all wards in the state under the supervision of the properly constituted electoral committee recognised by the national leadership of the party.
“At the conclusion of the transparent and credible exercise, Dr. Biodun Ogundipe, popularly known as BCO, emerged victorious and was duly declared winner of the governorship primary election,” the statement added.
“The exercise was free, fair, credible and witnessed by party leaders, members, security agencies, observers and stakeholders across Ogun State.”
The party strongly condemned what it called unauthorised attempts to mislead party members and create confusion within the public space.
“We strongly condemn every attempt by unauthorised individuals to mislead party members and create confusion within the public space through the circulation of fabricated results and false declarations,” the statement reads.
“Such actions are capable of undermining internal democracy and causing unnecessary tension within the party.”
The faction said Ogundipe is committed to massive investment in youth empowerment and job creation through technology, agriculture and industrial development, as well as improvement of healthcare delivery and access to quality medical services across rural and urban communities.
The dispute has thrown the ADC’s governorship primary into confusion, with two parallel announcements and rival claims of legitimacy.
Complicating matters further, the Chairman of the Electoral Committee for the state, Adeniyi Adams, had on Monday announced Ogundipe as the winner of the party’s governorship primary with 9,370 votes, defeating Lawal who got 6,812 votes and Odusina who polled 2,349 votes — figures that differ significantly from both Adelowo’s announcement and the Famojuro faction’s claims.
As of press time, the national leadership of the ADC had not issued an official statement clarifying which faction or result is recognised by the party.
Political observers have warned that the unresolved dispute could weaken the ADC’s chances in the 2027 Ogun State governorship election if not quickly addressed by the party’s national leadership.
Efforts to reach both Adelowo and the Jimi Lawal campaign for reaction were unsuccessful as of the time of filing this report.
