ABEOKUTA – The Ogun State chapter of People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has warned the All Progressives Congress (APC) to stop twisting narratives and whip up sentiments around the judiciary in order to seek public sympathy.
The APC Publicity Secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye had in a press release on Saturday accused PDP of bullying the judiciary and cyberstalking Governor Dapo Abiodun with a “wobbly petition” at the Election Petition Tribunal.
Oladunjoye who reacted to a video in which Adebutu was allegedly assuring that his petition would succeed at the Election Petition Tribunal, said that having submitted their “wobbly petition, the PDP and its loquacious candidate should allow justice to take its course.
“You cannot be a petitioner and judge at the same time. Election petition is not won on the social media,” the APC added.
In the press statement entitled, “If wishes were horses, losers will win,” the APC remarked that “Adebutu’s persistent bullying of the judiciary, peddling of lies against the government and inciting the citizens, is the worst version of what defective petitioners do to give non-existent hope to gullible followers to keep them in check and securely warehoused.”
The statement described Adebutu’s appeal to pity as a devious tactic, saying that the PDP candidate was raising fear where there was none by alleging that some civil servants were being victimized because of their voting preferences.
But in another counter-reaction, the PDP Publicity Secretary in the state, Asiwaju Bankole Akinloye said Adebutu as a law-abiding citizen has a strong belief in the judiciary as the hope of the common man that provides succour to the oppressed and liberator of the defenseless.
Akinloye maintained that, the party only approached the Election Petition Tribunal with petitions to register its displeasure on the level of partisanship, anomalies, manipulations and several irregularities discovered in the just concluded 2023 elections in the state.
The PDP scribe described as shameful the APC act for calling out Adebutu for exercising his fundamental human rights.
He said for the APC to have started pointing accusing fingers when trials have not commenced is not a new antic to cause distraction, particularly when the truth is catching up with them daily.
He noted that if truly the APC won the election beyond reasonable doubt, there was no need for it to twist narratives, whip sentiments around the judiciary and crying foul when nothing happened.
“Election tribunal is not a military zone and anyone who has no skeleton in his cupboard should not shiver but accept being served with the petitions and not until an order for substituted service was granted before Dapo Abiodun could be served.
“If truly the APC won the election beyond reasonable doubt, then, there is no need for APC to twist narratives, whip sentiments around the Judiciary and crying foul when nothing happened. Dapo Abiodun and APC should prepare themselves for the trials at the tribunal and stop disturbing the public with lies and also stop sending emissaries to the patriach of the Adebutu family to plead, rather, they should allow the judiciary, the only hope of common man to perform its constitutional duties. After all, ours is a constitutional democracy.
“It is no more a surprise to us and the general public that the APC is known for intimidating and attacking peaceful individuals, so as to restrict people from exposing their illicit acts, hence, their new endeavour of using Oladunjoye as a microphone to orchestrate and cause post-election’s chaos.
“Oladunjoye that we know, ordinarily, is supposed to be under an arrest somewhere and be answering questions bordering on corruption and reckless dereliction of duties during his inglorious days as council chairman; he should not be here claiming to be more Catholic than Pope in the bid to massage his principal’s ego. He has been a serial betrayer and a cheat. Even recently, he was exposed by his party members for siphoning campaign funds.
“The iniquity perpetrated by the APC in the just concluded general elections are visible to the public view, there is nowhere to hide, as we have enough video evidence of their brazen brigandage and harassment deployed to subvert the popular wish of innocent citizens.”
