The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has accused the state police command of alleged refusal to release the report of an investigation into an allegation that the All Progressives Congress (APC) engaged in vote buying during the last governorship election.
The PDP Chairman in Ogun, Sikirulahi Ogundele, stated this at a press conference he addressed on Monday at the party secretariat in Abeokuta.
Ogundele gave the Commissioner of Police in Ogun, Abiodun Alamutu, 72-hour ultimatum to make public the report of the vote buying allegation levelled against the ruling party.
In June, Adebutu had, through his lawyer, written a petition to the Inspector General of Police, alleging that his opponent bought votes and perpetrated electoral violence during the governorship election.
At the press conference, Ogundele explained that their petition was submitted during the administration of the immediate past IGP, Alkail Baba, but was not concluded at that time.
The chairman added that the party has it on good authority that the investigation has been concluded, but the command has refused to make the report of the investigation public.
He said the opposition party was aware that APC “is putting unbearable pressure on and also 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, Baba Alkali, based on the opposition party’s petition dated May 2, 2023.”
He disclosed that the APC used a company, “One Card Nigeria Limited owned by Mr Tunde Odulaja” to load cards with billions of Naira, using the preloaded credit cards to buy votes.
According to him, the police had interrogated enough witnesses, got facts and that investigation had since been concluded, “yet the police have refused to submit and release the findings and report of the investigation.”
Commenting on the earlier petition filed by the APC against the PDP candidate, Ogundele questioned why the police were quick to make public the report, “without interviewing or taking statements from those against whom the APC levelled allegations of vote-buying.
The PDP also faulted the Federal Ministry of Justice for allegedly conducting itself “in the most unprofessional manner and in a clear abuse of its prosecutorial powers with the charging of our governorship candidate, Adebutu and other supporters before the State High Court based on the incomplete and inchoate investigation report when they lacked the power under Section 145(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 to prosecute the electoral offence.”
“We give the Ogun State Commissioner of Police 72 hours to release the report of their investigation; otherwise, we will take action against him,” he warned.
Contacted for response on the allegation, Ogun police spokesperson, Omolola Odutola, said she knows nothing about the matter.
“I am not aware of this. My boss has not briefed me on this. I prefer to comment on heinous crimes and matters that DPOs can report in remote areas.
“I am sorry, I honestly don’t have a comment on this. Thank you for your understanding,” she said in a message.
Reacting to the allegation, the Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, described the PDP claims as falsehoods.
Oladunjoye advised the Ogun PDP and its governorship candidate “to stop wasting their time on a lost battle but rather concentrate their energies and resources on defending themselves against the weighty criminal charges hanging around their necks, and to which many of their conspirators have confessed.”
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