Abiodun, Adebutu Clash over LG Poll

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The rivalry between the Ogun State Governor, Dapo Abiodun and his major opponent in the 2023 governorship election, Hon Ladipupo Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP),  resurfaced yesterday, as the duo engaged each other, over what transpired during Saturday’s local government election in the state.
The two accused each other of thuggery during the election.
At the end of the election, candidates of the  ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), were declared winners in all the 20 local governments as chairmen and in 236 wards as councillors.
Not satisfied with the conduct of the election and the outcome, the PDP and its leader, Adebutu, addressed a news conference, during which, they condemned the process of the election and the outcome.
Adebutu and the state government, however, trade blame on reported violence that greeted the exercise in some places.
The state government, had Sunday, alleged that illegal mobile policemen allegedly sponsored by Adebutu, attempted to assassinate the vice chairmanship candidate of APC in Ikene Local Government,  Hon Mohammed Efuwape, while a man with him, was shot.
But while reviewing the poll and the conduct, Adebutu at a news conference, said it was the security aides in the convoy of the Abiodun and suspected thugs that attacked people on the election day and later laid siege on his residence in the same Iperu town.
While condemning the conduct of the election, Adebutu, said suspected thugs, soldiers and policemen, mobilised by Abiodun, were going from one polling units to the other and harassing voters particularly, those suspected to be on the side of the PDP.
He said election, did not hold in more than 4000 out of 4, 044 polling units in the state while results, were declared for all the wards.
Adebutu described the local government poll as a charade, chams and manipulation of people’s will.