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Certificate Forgery: Adebutu/Ogun PDP’s Laughable Allegation Against Abiodun

 

By Olayemi Festus Oke.

This morning, the latest comedy by the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) regarding Governor Dapo Abiodun’s March 18 electoral triumph was unfolded with the allegation that he forged his WAEC certificate. This is coming after the Ogun State Election Petitions Tribunal dismissed the vote buying allegation concocted against Abiodun by the party and its candidate, Ladi Adebutu, after the Federal Government charged Adebutu and his co-conspirators to court for vote buying, criminal conspiracy and bribery during the said election. The details are in the public domain, and Adebutu remains in his fox hole abroad, trying to evade prosecution for his crime.

Indeed, having failing to honour police investigation after their vote buying scheme was busted by the security agencies during the March 18 election, with several suspects linked to them arrested, and while still acting as fugitives after the office of the Attorney-General of the Federation charged them and Zenith Bank (the bank they used in perpetrating money laundering, criminal conspiracy and bribery during the March 18 election) to court, Adebutu and his partners in crime forwarded a petition to the IGP, asking him to probe Abiodun/APC for vote buying too! The police never bothered to respond to the frivolous petition, but it is on record that the Ogun Election Petitions Tribunal has already dismissed the vote buying allegation against Abiodun/APC as an afterthought.

Now, the certificate allegation for which Adebutu and his co-fugitives have been promoting sponsored falsehood was dismissed at every level of the Nigerian court system following the 2019 elections, meaning that they (Adebutu/PDP) are only flogging a dead horse and wasting everyone’s time.

Then, Abdulrafiu Baruwa had challenged the governor’s eligibility to contest the 2019 governorship election on the ground of failure to disclose all his academic qualifications. But in march 2019, the High Court of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, dismissed the suit. This position was endorsed by the Court of Appeal and, finally, by the Supreme Court in the suit with Appeal No SC/524/2019. The apex court, in a judgment delivered by Justice Mary Odili, held that Abiodun fulfilled constitutional requirements, and that his modesty could not be taken for falsehood.

Knowing the position of the apex court, Ladi Adebutu/PDP are rehearsing failed allegations merely as a face-saving tactic. Having lost the March 18 election, they are trying to sneak themselves into Oke Mosan via spurious technicalities. They know that the forgery allegation against the governor won’t fly because he not only completed secondary education, he in fact passed his O-Levels with distinction! In any case, his schoolmates are still alive and well. Instead of defending themselves against the criminal allegations leveled against them, Adebutu/PDP are raising dust over issues on which the apex court has already given Prince Abiodun a clean bill of health. This, clearly, is medicine after death, but a drowning man will clutch at anything, even air!

Adebutu is a fugitive from the law who is hiding in a fox hole abroad following his ongoing legal battle with the Nigerian State over a motley of criminal charges. Of course, he is presumed innocent until found guilty, but the fact is that he has refused to come home to attend court!

Let him come home and defend himself instead of trying to deceive the public with spurious allegations!

Oke, a broadcast journalist, Abeokuta

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