The Coalition of Political Parties, Ogun State, on Friday threw its weight behind the 2023 governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic party, Ladi Adebutu over an alleged vote-buying of a preliminary report of the police, describing Adebutu as a law-abiding Nigerian.
It would be recalled that last week, Premium Times published a preliminary report of the police on the March 18 governorship election in the State, indicting Adebutu of vote buying.
But the opposition politicians said they were not unaware of the antics of Governor Dapo Abiodun and his party, All Progressives Congress (APC), to sway public attention away from what they said were his many transgressions in the electoral process.
Addressing a news conference on behalf of the political parties, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party ( SDP), Anthony Ojeshina said Adebutu is a man of reputable character and a philanthropist per excellence who would not engage in such an act.
He disclosed that Abiodun and APC’s media trial, propaganda, name calling and rumor peddling against Adebutu was to cause a distraction for the tribunal
His words “As a law-abiding citizen and someone who has respect for due process, our candidate, Hon. Adebutu approached the tribunal with hard evidence against the All Progressives Congress and its candidate. Since the time the petition was filed at the tribunal, Prince Dapo Abiodun and his party have made frantic efforts to ensure that our candidate did not proceed with the tribunal and has failed in their several attempts to suppress Hon. Adebutu’s bid to recover the mandate of the good people of Ogun State. Prince Dapo Abiodun and his party have now resorted to engaging in media trials, blackmailing, name-calling and rumor peddling against our candidate.
“It is surprising that Prince Abiodun’s cohorts are usurping the responsibility of the Police Public Relations Officers by revealing information of an ongoing investigation which our candidate was not prior to before he left the country on February 25th for his usual medical routine checkup.
“It is important for the public to know that Hon. Adebutu, whom we supported under the aegis of COALITION OF POLITICAL PARTIES, is a man of reputable character and a philanthropist per excellence was not involved in any vote-buying as being peddled by the APC. Some of these attributes of him formed our decision to give him our needed support”, he stated.
He also warned the police to allow themselves to be used as an instrument of cohesion and intimidation Abiodun.
His words: “Also, while we remain confident in the Nigerian Police Force to be independent in the discharge of its duties. We want to urge the NPF not to allow themselves to be used as an instrument of cohesion and intimidation by Prince Abiodun with his expected numbered days as the Governor of Ogun State”.
Ojeshina, who expressed confidence in the judiciary’s commitment in upholding the tenets of democracy, urged the tribunal not to be distracted, affirming that the political parties will continue to support Adebutu.
He said, “We would like to urge members of the public not to be swayed by the machinations and conjectures of Prince Abiodun and his party but to remain resolute in our support for Hon Adebutu as we are confident that the relief Ogun people wanted is very near.
“While we are also confident of the Judiciary’s commitment to upholding the tenets of democracy through upholding the rule of law. We are urging members of the Ogun State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal not to be distracted by Prince Abiodun and his party which is an attempt to cause distraction for the tribunal. We are confident of the tribunal’s commitment to a fair hearing of the petitions before it”.
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