As LG Poll Rekindles Hostilities Between Kinsmen in Ogun…
The recent local government poll held in Ogun State, has led to resumption of hostilities between Governor Dapo Abiodun and the PDP gubernatorial candidate during the 2023 poll, Hon Ladipupo Adebutu. James Sowole reports.
The local government election held on November 16, 2024 in Ogun State, has come and gone with winners already inaugurated into office. However, the dust raised by the poll is yet to settle.
From the day the state electoral body, the Ogun State Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC), released guidelines and timetable for the poll, political parties resisted imposition of administrative charges which must be paid by political parties, sponsoring candidates for the poll.
According to the electoral body, each chairmanship candidate, was required to pay N250,000, a male councillorship candidate was asked to pay N150,000 while female councillorship candidate, was expected to pay N100,000, to participate in the election.
This issue of administrative charges dragged for several weeks until, the Ogun State High Court, declared the imposition of the charges on candidates, as illegal, null and void, few days to the election.
Though, tongues started wagging on the conduct of the poll as the voting commenced on the election day, the OGSIEC in early hours of Sunday, November 17, 2024, however, announced 20 All Progressives Congress (APC) chairmanship and 236 councillorship candidates, as winners of the poll contested by 19 political parties.
The 20 APC chairmen were presented with Certificates of Returns and subsequently, sworn in on Monday, November 20, 2024 at the June 12 Cultural Centre, Abeokuta with funfare.
While the voting processes were ongoing, two main opposition parties, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP), alleged irregularities claiming that election did not take place in many polling units because materials, did not get there as at 1:30 pm for an election that will close by 2:00pm. They also alleged that in polling units where voting materials got to, election officials, were not given results sheet to record scores of various candidates.
From one news conference to another, OGSIEC and the State Government, were accused of manipulating the process to frustrate other political parties to the advantage of the ruling APC.
For the local government election proper, it was assumed that claims and counter claims should have been suspended with the swearing in of the winners until probably, when a tribunal rule otherwise.
However, the reverse was the case as the exercise rekindled the rivalry and cold war between leaders of the two major political parties, Governor Dapo Abiodun of the APC and Hon Oladipupo Adebutu of PDP, who are kinsmen from Iperu in Ikenne Local Government area of the state.
The two “elephants” contested the 2023 Governorship poll, which was eventually, won by Abiodun even as the matter got to the Supreme Court.
The enemity between the two kinsmen, further got worsened, when the State Government alleged that illegal policemen assembled by Adebutu, opened fire on the vice chairmanship candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ikenne Local Government, Hon. Muhammed Olaitan Efuwape, and one voter named Biola.
Efuwape was said to have escaped death by the whiskers with injuries, but Biola wasn’t so lucky as the gunshots shattered his legs, and he was rushed to a nearby hospital where he was receiving medical attention.
It was alleged that 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 Ikenne Local Government in their desperate attempt to scuttle the electoral process.
It was said that Ladi Adebutu’s personal assistant, one Gafar Asaolu, in the company of the illegal policemen, was going from one polling unit to another harassing innocent voters and led the illegal policemen to carry out the assassination attempt on Efuwape at his polling booth.
According to a statement, one of the policemen was apprehended, disarmed and confirmed that he was from MOPOL 49 while the remaining policemen, went to Adebutu’s residence to seek refuge.
The statement said the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun’s attention was called and he then ordered that the “illegal” policemen, should be arrested.
Sequel to the allegations, operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) invited Adebutu for questioning but was released the next day on bail.
But while reviewing the local government poll and its conduct, Adebutu at a news conference, said it was the security aides in the convoy of Governor 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 unit to the other 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 and manipulation of people’s will.
In a swift reply, the State Government, described Adebutu’s accusation against Abiodun, as tissue of lies to cover his face and bad conduct.
The state government, in a release by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, described Adebutu as a drowning man who is finding someone to drag with him into the abyss.
Akinmade, in the statement, noted that Ogun State has not witnessed any political violence since Abiodun assumed office, a testament to his peaceful mien.
He noted that contrary to Adebutu’s falsehood, Abiodun had, immediately after voting, headed home straight, where he was until the election, after which he decided to return to Ondo State where the governorship election had just taken place.
He accused Adebutu of political thuggery, adding that contrary to the electoral act, he illegally brought in 40 policemen from MOPOL 49 in Lagos and, along with PDP thugs on Okada who went about with guns, cutlasses and other dangerous weapons, attempting to snatch ballot boxes.
According to Akinmade, one of the polling booths invaded was where the Vice Chairman of Ikenne Local Government, Hon. Muhammed Olaitan Efuwape was about to vote. He was shot by the policemen alongside one other voter.
Enraged voters pursued the policemen, who fled to the home of Hon. Adebutu where they took refuge.
He said: “Rather than allowing the policemen to be picked up, Hon. Abebutu aided their escape from his house, while only four were arrested.
“This individual is trying to assume the role of the Chief Security Officer of Ogun State and that is impossible. It is in his own interest to cooperate with law enforcement officers by turning himself in, rather than trying to exonerate himself from the mayhem unleashed on the peace-loving residents of Iperu on Saturday.”
As accusation and counter accusation continues, Adebutu was invited by the State Police Command, Eleweran, few hours after he was released by the DSS.
Alleging intimidation and harassment being orchestrated by the governor, Adebutu, again called out the governor, insisting that Abiodun wants to silent him, because of his commitment to good governance at the grassroot.
The former PDP governorship candidate, vowed not to stop demanding for accountability for the local government fund as released by the Federal Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) on monthly basis despite series of intimidation and that he would continue to be the voice of opposition.
He denied allegation of sponsoring political thugs to disrupt the last local government election in his home town, Iperu Remo.
Adebutu explained that the policemen at his residence were assigned to him by the Police authorities since December 2022, maintaining they (Police) were not on any illegal assignment as being speculated.
He said, “I never left my house to vote during the November 16, talk less of carrying anyone around during the voting exercise. However, it was the APC thugs that were snatching boxes during the election.
“They have come up with various spurious allegations. I was invited by the DSS and Police, I honoured the invitations and I gave them my words of peace, and they asked me to go in peace. If I am guilty of any of the allegations, I would have been charged to court.
“The last local government election in the State was a sham. They never believed that PDP would participate in the election. The judgement delivered by the State High Court hours to the election shocked them.
“The OGSIEC commenced printing of ballot papers on Thursday and Friday because they never knew PDP will participate. This is logistically impossible for the election to be a success. There was no election in over 4000 polling units because election materials could not get to many local governments. However, they generated results in these areas. They printed two results sheets.
“They alleged that I brought unassigned policemen into Iperu for the purpose of election. Let me state it here that the Policemen were assigned to me in December 2022. They have been with me in Iperu since that time to protect me from being attacked. My house is more of a garrison.
“I will follow the DSS if they invite me to Abuja because my hands are clean.”
Adebutu alleged that the current administration in the State has allegedly misappropriated N214 billion funds allocated to LG areas, in the last 52 months with nothing to show for it.
“What are the money spent on? What has the State done with the quantum of money? The reason why they are pursuing me with the DSS, Police is because they did not want me to speak up on the issue. They cannot silence me. The fund is our common patrimony,” he added.
Reacting swiftly, the Ogun State government, described the allegation of misappropriating council fund, as the ranting of a drowning man.
In a statement signed by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Hon Kayode Akinmade, the State government said it was not surprised by the antics of the PDP chieftain, who it noted is currently under investigation by security agencies for acts of electoral violence and attempted murder, as he has acquired notoriety over the years for making baseless and empty claims.
The statement added that Adebutu has become like a wounded lion who is trying to save face after his recent travail in the hands of security agents over his electoral malfeasance last Saturday.
The release stated inter alia, : “We do not find it shocking that a man who aspired to govern Ogun State but was roundly rejected by voters would claim that a governor who is not a signatory to local government accounts squandered council funds amounting to N214 billion in five years.
“That means, conceptually, that the said local governments did not pay any salaries and did not execute any projects in those five years, and it says a lot about a governorship candidate.
“If Ladi Adebutu knows anything at all about the art of governance, let alone the activities of the Ogun State Government under Prince Dapo Abiodun, he would not be making such flippant, hollow, and jejune accusations.
“The fact is that at no time did Governor Abiodun touch a dime of LG funds in Ogun State, but Adebutu has to entertain his crowd.
“It has become quite characteristic of this devious character to lie against Governor Abiodun with satanic fervor any time he is called upon to account for his rich biography of crimes.
“For instance, the fact is well known that apart from his recent case, he is standing trial for vote buying and conspiracy.
“Ladi Adebutu is a drowning man who believes that he can achieve through rabble-rousing and blackmail what he couldn’t achieve through the electoral and court processes, where he failed in his desperate bid to unseat a popular democratically elected governor.”
