Again, Ogun PDP, APC bicker over vote-buying allegation

The Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, on Monday, issued a 72-hour ultimatum to the Commissioner of Police in the  state, Abiodun Alamutu, to  release  the report on  the  allegation of  vote-buying levelled against Governor Dapo Abiodun and his party, the All Progressives Congress.

The Ogun State PDP Chairman, Sikirulahi Ogundele, gave this ultimatum at  a press briefing held in Abeokuta, the state capital.

Abiodun was declared winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state, but the PDP and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu, rejected the outcome of the poll, alleging that it was fraught with malpractices, including alleged vote-buying by Abiodun.

But Abiodun’s party, APC,also accused Adebutu and the PDP of vote-buying and the Federal Government has since filed charges against Adebutu and some PDP members.

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On Monday, however, the Ogun PDP chairman called on the Commissioner of Police to equally attend to vote-buying petition submitted by the PDP against Abiodun.

He said,  “The PDP was aware that Governor Abiodun and his party, APC, were putting unbearable pressure and as well threatening the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu, and his officers to allegedly suppress the release and distort the findings of the investigation ordered by the immediate-past Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, based on the opposition party’s petition dated May 2, 2023.

“It is clear that Governor Dapo Abiodun, has got a hint that many revelations have been made on how he diverted taxpayers’ money, up to billions of naira, to produce cards to buy votes in the March 18 governorship election.’’

When contacted for reaction on the allegation,  the Police Public Relations Officer in the state, Omolola Odutola, said, ‘‘My boss has not briefed me on this. I prefer to comment on heinous crimes and matters that DPOs can report in the remote areas.

But reacting to the claims by the PDP, the Publicity Secretary of the Ogun APC, Tunde Oladunjoye, said the PDP governorship candidate should rather return to the country to face the criminal charges filed against him by the Federal Government.

In the statement, titled, ‘Face your criminal charges and stop sounding like broken record – Ogun APC tells Adebutu, PDP,’Oladunjoye alleged that Adebutu “has been on the run from the law since his invitation by the police.”

He challenged Adebutu to “be man enough to face the criminal charges preferred against him by the Federal Government and stop wasting their time on a lost battle but rather concentrate their energies and resources on defending themselves of the weighty criminal charges hanging round their necks, and to which many of their conspirators have confessed to.”