Gov Abiodun, Adebutu clash over Ogun LG poll results

OGUN, Nigeria — Ogun state Governor, Dapo Abiodun and the PDP governorship candidate in the 2023 general elections, Oladipupo Adebutu has engaged in a word battle over the recent Local Government poll result which saw the All Progress Congress (APC) clearing 20 local government chairmanship and 236 councillors positions in the council elections held in Ogun.

Babatunde Osibodu, Chairman of the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission, announced the results on Sunday at the commission’s headquarters in Abeokuta.

According to his announcement, 19 political parties, including the Peoples Democratic Party and Labour Party, were part of the just concluded election.

Following the announcement of the result, the Ogun State government indicted Adebutu, of assembling some policemen who reportedly opened fire on the newly elected Vice Chairman of Ikenne Local Government, Mohammed Efuwape, and another voter simply identified as Biola at Iperu during the Saturday poll.

This was contained in a statement by governor Abiodun’s Chief Press Secretary, Lekan Adeniran.

Adeniran explained that the Vice Chairman luckily escaped death, adding that Biola was hit by the gun fired at him by these alleged police officers shattered his leg.

According to the State, Biola is currently receiving medical attention at an undisclosed hospital.

The statement read in part, “Adebutu illegally brought in over 40 policemen from MOPOL 49 in Lagos, with PDP thugs riding on Okadas, going around and trying to snatch ballot boxes while brandishing guns and other weapons in the Ikenne Local Government in their desperate attempt to scuttle the electoral process.”

In a swift reaction, Adebutu’s media aide, Afolabi Orekoya, in a statement  described the allegations by the state government as “lies from the pit of hell and an attempt to cover up the intimidation and oppression of the people of Ogun East during the local government’s election.”

The statement however indicted the Governor of championing thuggery and violence in Ogun state.

The statement read, “Adebutu’s son was attacked by a group of thugs in the neighbourhood very close to Adebutu’s house, not at a polling unit but on his way to the house.

“While the thugs began to shoot in their usual manner, they shot one of the policemen attached to Hon. Adebutu still around his house and not at any polling unit as claimed by the government. The shot policeman was quickly rescued and taken to the hospital.

“The thugs and their paymaster, including the governor’s security operatives, were all working hand in hand and they stormed Hon. Adebutu’s house, claiming it was on the instruction of the Inspector General who had been fed with the wrong account of the incident.

“After about forty minutes, armed policemen with armoured tanks and trucks, numbering over a hundred, stormed Hon. Adebutu’s house to arrest Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, but he requested for his arrest warrant, and they could not produce any.  They left his house after about one hour of holding him hostage.”