EXCLUSIVE: Ladi Adebutu’s Membership In Turmoil As INEC-Certified Register Lists Another Member At Serial Number 1536

By Newsacross.com Investigative Desk

A startling documentary discrepancy has cast a dark cloud over the Ogun State Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate, Hon. Oladipupo Ladi Adebutu, with an exclusive investigation by Newsacross.com revealing that the INEC-certified membership register submitted by the party does not list Adebutu at the serial number cited in court filings.

The controversy, which threatens the foundation of Adebutu’s candidacy ahead of the 2027 general election, centres on two allegedly conflicting versions of the PDP membership register: one officially submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and another reportedly relied upon in an affidavit at the Federal High Court in Abuja.

THE SMOKING GUN: SERIAL NUMBER 1536

Documents obtained by Newsacross.com show that the original PDP membership register, submitted to INEC on April 22, 2026, and subsequently certified by the electoral commission on July 20, 2026, does not contain the name of Ladi Adebutu at serial number 1536.

Instead, the name appearing against that entry on the relevant page of the INEC-certified document is LUGBOSO SUNDAY SEUN, a male resident of Ifamodupe Street, Ibara in Abeokuta South Local Government Area of Ogun State.

The discovery raises serious questions about the authenticity and provenance of the membership record reportedly presented to support the claim that Adebutu is a duly registered member of the PDP.

BATURE’S AFFIDAVIT UNDER SCRUTINY

According to information obtained by Newsacross.com, the National Organising Secretary of the PDP, Captain Bature, reportedly relied on a membership record in an affidavit to establish that Ladi Adebutu was a registered member of the party, identifying him with membership serial number 1536.

However, a direct comparison with the original register submitted to INEC presents a radically different picture.

The INEC-certified document identifies Lugboso Sunday Seun as the individual whose name appears against serial number 1536. This discrepancy raises a fundamental question: If serial number 1536 in the original register belongs to Lugboso Sunday Seun, what document was relied upon to associate the same membership number with Ladi Adebutu?

More importantly, was the membership record reportedly used in court extracted from the original register submitted to INEC, or was it a different version?

THE ODOGBOLU CONNECTION: A GEOGRAPHICAL IMPOSSIBILITY

Further examination of the INEC-certified membership register has raised additional questions about the local government arrangement and sequence of names in the document.

According to the register made available to Newsacross.com, the listing begins with Abeokuta South Local Government Area, followed by Abeokuta North Local Government Area. Adebutu, however, hails from Odogbolu Local Government Area of Ogun State.

This geographical and administrative distinction makes it necessary to establish how the serial number reportedly attributed to Adebutu was generated and whether his name appears anywhere in the original membership register under the appropriate local government.

An INEC-certified true copy of over 3,000 pages in Newsacross.com’s custody does not contain the name “Adebutu Ladi” in connection with serial number 1536.

The serial number alone does not conclusively establish a person’s local government or membership status. Nevertheless, the discrepancy between the names appearing against serial number 1536 in the two records makes a full examination of the register necessary.

Sources familiar with the document insist that PDP registration serial number 1536 belongs to LUGBOSHO Sunday Seun in the register submitted to INEC on April 22 and that the certified copy is now in the public domain.

The sources further disclosed that Odogbolu Local Government “has never and can never have registration number 001” as claimed by Ladi Adebutu out of the 20 local governments, noting that checks from INEC registration units contradicted his claims.

WHAT THE COURT DOCUMENT REVEALS

Another document obtained by Newsacross.com is an affidavit in support of an originating summons filed before the Federal High Court, Abuja Judicial Division, in a suit involving the Peoples Democratic Party and Oladipupo Olatunde Adebutu as plaintiffs, with INEC as defendant.

In the affidavit, Adebutu identifies himself as the second plaintiff and describes himself as the governorship candidate nominated and sponsored by the PDP for Ogun State in the forthcoming 2027 general election.

The affidavit further states that the facts contained in it are based on his personal knowledge, except where documentary evidence is specifically referenced.

However, the copy of the affidavit made available to Newsacross.com does not, by itself, establish that the membership register relied upon was certified by INEC.

This distinction is important because the central issue is not merely whether a membership list was presented in court, but whether the document corresponds with the original register officially submitted to the electoral commission.

INEC CERTIFICATION AT THE CENTRE OF THE STORM

The July 20, 2026 certification of the original register has become particularly significant in the emerging dispute.

If the certified register is confirmed to contain Lugboso Sunday Seun against serial number 1536, while another document attributes that same number to Ladi Adebutu, the PDP would need to explain the apparent inconsistency.

The relevant questions include:

1. Which membership register was officially submitted to INEC on April 22, 2026?
2. Does Ladi Adebutu’s name appear anywhere in the complete INEC-certified register?
3. Why does serial number 1536 reportedly identify Lugboso Sunday Seun in the certified copy but is attributed to Ladi Adebutu in the membership record relied upon in court?
4. Was the membership record reportedly used in court part of the original register submitted to INEC?
5. Was any supplementary or corrected membership register subsequently submitted to INEC, and, if so, when was it received and certified?

These questions are particularly important given the legal and political implications of membership records in disputes concerning political party nominations and the recognition of candidates.

A MATTER THAT REQUIRES OFFICIAL CLARIFICATION

The emerging documentary discrepancy could become a significant issue in the continuing legal battle surrounding the Ogun State PDP and its 2027 governorship candidacy.

Newsacross.com believes that the authenticity and provenance of party membership registers should not be left to speculation, particularly where such documents are being relied upon in judicial proceedings.

The PDP National Organising Secretary, Captain Bature, the Ogun State PDP leadership, Ladi Adebutu and INEC owe the public an explanation regarding the apparent differences between the records.

For now, the central question remains: How did Ladi Adebutu’s name reportedly become associated with membership serial number 1536 when the corresponding entry in the original register submitted to INEC identifies Lugboso Sunday Seun?

Newsacross.com will continue to examine the documents and follow developments surrounding this matter.