ABEOKUTA– The Ogun state Governorship Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the last general election, Hon. Ladi Adebutu has debunked stories of having a personal grouse with Governor Dapo Abiodun.
Adebutu stated that his constant concerns are borne out of his passion and love for the development of the state, which according to him has been missing under the Dapo Abiodun led administration.
The former lawmaker made this known while responding to questions from newsmen on the alleged assualt on his security aides during the just concluded local government election in the state.
The local government election held on Saturday was marred by allegations of violence and intimidation, with the PDP claiming that its leaders and supporters were targeted by hoodlums and security forces, allegedly sponsored by the state government.
Adebutu accused Governor Abiodun of trampling on democracy and the rights of the residents of the state, “by forcing voters to vote for APC’s candidates”.
He however regretted that, his party paid all required fees to the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) to prevent disenfranchisement, but their efforts were met with hostility.
“This is a clear case of state-sponsored terrorism. The governor’s Chief Security Officer led the attack on my neighborhood, and Abiodun was seen riding with hoodlums.
“Four armed men open fire on me. When this was reported they said that I should not have been moving around during the election. The CSO of Governor Abiodun was riding around with hoodlums”, Adebutu narrated
In the same vein, the party Chairman, Abayomi Tella expressed dismay on the irregularities that characterized the polls, saying that “there was no local government election in Ogun state pn Saturday”
According to Tella, reports from over 4,000 polling units indicated that voting materials were in non-existent, yet the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC) claimed that elections were held.
“This is not just a mere discrepancy; it’s a deliberate attempt to manipulate the outcome of the election,” Tella alleged.
“In many wards, there was no voting, yet winners were declared. Where did this voting take place?”.
“The people of Ogun State came out on Saturday to change the narrative, to reject incompetency, but their voices were silenced.
The local government in Ogun State has been in comatose since 2011. We are making a mockery of democracy in this state. It’s not worth it,” he said.
