Ogun 2023: Adebutu Took Thugs To INEC Office – APC Alleges

The Ogun State Chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has accused the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, of taking thugs to the office of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

CityNews Nigeria recalls that Adebutu and some PDP leaders stormed the office of the electoral body in Abeokuta, the state capital, to protest the results of the governorship election on Saturday, March 19.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the State Publicity Secretary of the APC, Tunde Oladunjoye, asked INEC to provide maximum security for its staff and the election materials in its possession.

Oladunjoye called on the electoral umpire to protect all the ballot papers pertaining to the just concluded general elections in the state.

He claimed that Adebutu took thugs to INEC to submit a letter, and also insisted that officials of the Commission must come out to address his hired crowd

He said, “It has become pertinent to demand the provision of watertight security for INEC offices across the state, its officers, and election materials.

“In view of the recent happenings in Ogun State, particularly last week’s invasion of the state’s INEC headquarters, by the PDP governorship candidate, Honourable Ladi Adebutu, who lost in the March 18, 2023 elections, we are duty-bound to call on INEC and all other relevant statutory bodies, including the security agencies, to ensure that nothing untoward happens to the election materials, especially the ballot papers in the possession of INEC.

“Or where in the world has it been reported that a loser at an election, along with hundreds of hired people, marched on the office of the electoral umpire purportedly ‘to submit a letter’, as we saw in Abeokuta last week?

“Hon. Adebutu not only took thugs to INEC to ‘submit a letter’ but also insisted that officers of INEC must come out to address his hired crowd and respond to the so-called letter?”

PDP Reacts To Allegation

But reacting, the Publicity Secretary of the PDP, Bankole Akinloye, described the allegation as ‘an empty noise”.

Akinloye said, “It is an empty noise. The APC and Tunde Oladunjoye is just being clever by half. The PDP is not known for any destructive tendencies; we are known for peace. The PDP does not need to invade the office of INEC to tamper with any electoral materials that were used during the last elections.

“We have clearly shown to the people that we won the election and we are set to use the judiciary to prove our case.

“This is what we are planning against the like of Oladunjoye and the APC. We know the cry does not hold water and INEC knows what to do.”