Don’t Allow Abiodun To Tamper, Distort Police Investigation On Vote-Buying Allegation, PDP Begs IGP Egbetokun

ABEOKUTA – The Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun state has appealed to the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to ensure that the findings of the investigation before the police by the party are not tampered with or distorted.

THE ENCOUNTER NEWS reports that the PDP in Ogun State had petitioned the 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 other offences on Monday, 17th July, 2023.

Addressing journalists at the party secretariat in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the State PDP Chairman, Hon. Sikirulai Ogundele alleged that the State governor, Dapo Abiodun is attempting to suppress the report and distort the findings of the investigation ordered by the immediate past Inspector General of Police based on their petition dated May 2, 2023.

He, however, urged the Inspector General to bring those who have committed criminal infractions to book in order to ensure that the rule of law prevails.

According to Ogundele, Governor Abiodun is mounting unbearable pressure on the Ogun state Police command to suppress and distort the reports of the investigation in his favour.

“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 boasted 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 Dapo Abiodun 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 has 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.”

In a swift reaction, the Ogun state chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) advised the PDP and its governorship candidate, Ladi Adebutu, to be man enough to face the criminal charges preferred against him by the Federal Government and stop sounding like a broken record.

APC in a statement signed by its Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, said, “The PDP has nothing new to say. We have gone through the porous press statement and we cannot find anything more than the trite excuses, false claims and contradictions of the defeated candidate who has been on the run from the law since his invitation by the Police.”

The party advised the Ogun state PDP and its governorship candidate to 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.”