Raging Talks As Abiodun, Adebutu’s War Rears Head On Another Front

Talks here and there suggest that the unending supremacy tussle between Governor Dapo Abiodun and Oladipupo Adebutu has reared its head on another front.

Adebutu, the serial gubernatorial candidate simply known as Ladi Adebutu or Lado, hails from Iperu in the Ogun East Senatorial District.

Governor Abiodun is from the same town in Ogun State.

The ranking traditional ruler of the town, Oba Adeleke Adelekan Idowu-Basibo, the Alaperu of Iperu-Remo, has just joined his ancestors.

Although the passing of the revered traditional ruler is still fresh and his funeral rites yet to be held, interest in his successor has already gripped the town.

“Which is a natural thing. Who becomes king is a lifetime aspiration, filled with hopes resting on chance and fate. So, the fact that people are speculating about the next Alaperu or that some individuals are reportedly making moves is not an anomaly. What is wrong is to openly campaign while the funeral rites of the immediate past Alaperu have not been concluded,” according to insiders.

Checks revealed that—inevitably—the speculations are factoring in the projected roles of Governor Abiodun and Ladi Adebutu.

While Abiodun is administering the state under the platform of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Adebutu is the face and power behind the main opposition, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP). He is the son of Kessington Adebutu, the very definition of wealth—a casino and lotto king—whose family has been deeply embedded in the socio-economic fabric of the town through various initiatives long before Abiodun was first elected governor in 2019.

However, since Abiodun, who was re-elected in 2023, became governor, he and Ladi Adebutu have not seen eye to eye—largely due to the latter’s gubernatorial ambition.

Their animosity has reached such heights that some believe the reasons go beyond mere political rivalry.

“And that is what has fueled raging speculations—the belief that their soured relationship will seep into determining who becomes the next king. Having the ear of the Alaperu is a big thing for anyone, let alone the two of them,” insiders noted.

Interestingly, beyond being major influences in the town, both of them have direct or indirect traces of royalty.

“But the thing is, the governor holds the overriding authority to approve who becomes king, and Abiodun is the governor of Ogun State today and until May 29, 2027,” a source pointed out, suggesting that this gives him the upper hand.

Further checks revealed that there have been instances where kingmakers and other stakeholders forced the government to accept their choice of successor—such as when the late Alaafin of Oyo, Oba Lamidi Adeyemi, ascended the throne in November 1970.