PDP, Group Clash over Adebutu/Akinlade Alliance Agreement

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation yesterday clashed with a socio-political group in Ogun State, Gateway Dialogue over the power-sharing agreement between the governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu and his running mate, Adekunle Akinlade.

While the campaign organisation claimed that the agreement was aimed at fostering cordial working relationship between the loyalists of Adebutu and Akinlade, the group described the document as a manifestation of fraud and cluelessness.

The Media Director of the campaign organisation, Afolabi Orekoya and the Publicity Secretary, Gateway Dialogue, Thomas Ishola expressed the divergent views in separate statements yesterday.

The media was had awash with emergence of a seven-page document signed by the candidates and which had been generating reactions from several stakeholders.

Defending the document, Orekoya claimed that the agreement was purposely released to the public and aimed at fostering cordial working relationship between the loyalists of PDP candidate his running mate.

Orekoya said: “It was legally binding to show sincerity of purpose between the two groups. The much noise by the All Progressives Congress (APC), was because the party was already been threatened by the coming together of the Adebutu and his running mate.

“We are quite aware of the desperation to discredit our candidates ahead of the 2023 elections by people who already feel their aspiration is threatened by the alignment of Adebutu and Akinlade.

“To set the record straight, the agreement was purposely released to the public and aimed at fostering cordial working relationship between the loyalists of Hon. Adebutu and his running mate.

“It was legally binding to show sincerity of purpose between the two groups. By no means, the agreement neither violated any part of the Nigerian Constitution nor encouraged stealing of public funds. Rather, it is meant for the general public to know that there is nothing hidden as earlier speculated in some circles.

“It should be noted that sharing of elective and appointive offices is not a new thing across political spectrums, especially in situations where there are alignments of forces. 

“For emphasis, the document in circulation was deliberately made available to the public in good faith and to demonstrate transparency. It is to show the gentleman nature of Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu who is willing and ready to replicate such gestures with the good people of Ogun State.”

In its own statement, however, Ishola argued that by the import of the document, it shows that the original motive of the duo and their party was purely ‘business’ and far from governance.

The publicity secretary added that the document also exposed the two politicians as nitwits and clueless, without iota of intelligence and capacity for governance.

He explained that the reactions that trail the document from all over the world should have given the duo of Adebutu and Akinlade the clue of their fate in the forthcoming election in the State.

Condemning the alliance and its purpose, Ishola described the signed agreement “as a dubious one that had brought embarrassment to the people of the state.

“By the import and tone of the alliance agreement between Adebutu and Akinlade, it shows the duo are rogues in Agbada, unrepentant political jobbers, who are totally bereft of little idea of governance other than power and money.

“This dubious document had brought serious embarrassment to Ogun State and the good people of the state since it surfaced on different social media platforms on Friday. We make bold to say that the duo of Adebutu and Akinlade are the worst of politicians we have in Ogun State.”