The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, in Ogun State has cried out over the state governor’s attempt to suppress the release and findings of the electoral malpractice’s investigation ordered by the former Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba.
In a press statement signed by the chairman of the party in Ogun State, Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele, the party appealed to the new police boss, Kayode Egbetokun, to resuscitate the findings and do the needful.
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The opposition party accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of vote buying, snatching and destruction of ballot papers and boxes, thuggery, causing harm and many others.
It also alleged that the governor, through “One Card Nigeria Limited” owned by one Tunde Odulaja, diverted taxpayers’ money up to billions of naira to produce cards for the purpose of buying votes in the March 18, Gubernatorial election.
Read full report below.
BEING THE TEXT OF PRESS BRIEFING BY OGUN STATE CHAIRMAN OF THE PEOPLES DEMOCRATIC PARTY, HON. SIKIRULAI OGUNDELE APPEALING TO THE INSPECTOR GENERAL OF POLICE, MR KAYODE EGBETOKUN ON THE REPORT OF OGUN STATE COMMAND OF POLICE ON THE COMPLAINT OF BREACH OF ELECTORAL ACT, 2022 AGAINST DAPO ABIODUN, YEMI SANUSI AND APC THROUGH VOTE BUYING, SNATCHING AND DESTRUCTION OF BALLOT PAPERS AND BOXES, THUGGERY, CAUSING HARM AND OTHERS ON MONDAY, 17TH JULY, 2023.
It is on record that our party and Governorship Candidate through his Lawyer, Ehi Uwaifor & Co petitioned the Inspector General of Police on May 2nd, 2023 to investigate the breach of Electoral Act 2022, perpetuated by Governor Dapo Abiodun, Yemi Sanusi and APC through Vote Buying, snatching and destruction of Ballot Papers and Boxes, thuggery, causing harm and many others.
The Ogun State PDP is aware that the governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun and the Apc in Ogun State are mounting untold and unbearable pressure on and threatening the Ogun State Police Command and his officers to suppress the release and distort the findings of the Investigation ordered by the immediate past Inspector General of Police based on our petition dated May 2, 2023
It is clear that Governor Dapo Abiodun after having a hint that many revelations on how he has diverted taxpayers’ money to pay “One Card Nigeria Limited” owned by Mr Tunde Odulaja up to Billions of Naira to produce cards for the purpose of buying votes in the March 18, Gubernatorial election.
We are also aware that Governor Dapo Abiodun is trying to suppress the report because he knows the investigations have uncovered many atrocities he has perpetuated with his co-travels with evidence provided by various witnesses and facts made available and how government accounts were used to buy votes.
In support of our petition and in addition to the evidence made available to the Police by our Party which have aided thorough investigation of our petition, the Police questioned enough witnesses, got facts and information which we believed to have enriched the report that has been concluded. Yet Governor Dapo Abiodun is preventing the State Police Command to submit, release the findings and report of the investigation.
Also, the report is expected to reveal how the governor and APC resorted to ballot snatching, poll disruption, destruction of electoral materials as well as physical attacks on supporters and sympathizers of our party, PDP.
It should be noted that the Governor Abiodun was happy and quick to applaud the police who without interviewing or taking statements from those the APC levelled allegations of vote buying against hurriedly sent in an interim report and released same to the media.
Consequently, the Federal Ministry of Justice promptly charged our candidate and supporters before the Ogun State High Court based on the incomplete and inchoate investigation report. When they clearly lacked the power under Section 145(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 to prosecute elctoral offence.
The Governor and his APC supporters have openly be boasting that the report of the investigation will be manipulated and will not see the light of the day. And that whatever the actual facts the report will exonerate DapoAbiodun and APC. We did not believe the boast, however, the delay in the submission and release of the report have given us concern that the boast might be true after all.
We are appealing to the Inspector General of Police, Mr Kayode Egbetokun, who is also a proud indigen of Ogun State that findings of the Investigation should not be tampered with and distorted. Let the world know what transpired at the March 18, 2023 governorship election In Ogun State. The interim report of the APC petition against us have been submitted and released. Let the report of our own be submitted and released.
We Call on the Inspector General of police to quickly call on the Commissioner of Police in Ogun State to submit the report of the investigation as it is. Any distorted and manipulated report submitted will not only kill our fundamental human rights but also put our system in serious test.
The Inspector General Police should be the true tiger against crime that he has promised. We urge him to ensure that the findings are not distorted and manipulated. And that those who have committed criminal Infractions of looting Ogun State government funds to buy votes, engage thugs to snatch ballot boxes and papers and destroy them and cause harm to our supporters and sympathisers are brought to book.
Truly, let the Rule of Law hold and prevail.
Signed
Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele
Chairman, Ogun PDP
Ojelabi, the publisher of Freelanews, is an award winning and professionally trained mass communicator, who writes ruthlessly about pop culture, religion, politics and entertainment.
