Though, the 2023 gubernatorial election in Ogun may has come and gone, but the array of intricacies that trailed the exercise remain indelible in the consciousness of many critical stakeholders, as well as residents of the gateway State.
One of those events was the tour of polling units on the day of election by the candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, Oladipupo Adebutu, against the dictates of electoral law, which forbids such movement during elections.
While even the incumbent Governor, Prince Dapo Abiodun, was strictly restricted to his Iperu country home throughout the exercise, Adebutu flagrantly flouted the extant law that regulates the activities of every Nigerian during electioneering process and assumed the duty of election observers to ‘ monitor the process’.
Interestingly, it has become an open secret that the rationale behind the action of the PDP candidate was to monitor the process and speed of sharing his bribes among electorate, through ‘ credit cards’ with worth of ten thousand naira each.
Adebutu was obviously sighted at different locations around the State, moving from major towns in Ogun East to as far as Ota, in Ogun West.
The most disheartening aspect of the ugly scenario is the pattern of composition of his entourage, which majorly comprised fierce-looking political thugs and handful of security agents.
That the PDP governorship candidate was allowed to move around on the day of election to monitor fraudulent activities of his party members in different polling units is a huge indictment on the part of our security agencies, who are saddled with the responsibilities of safeguarding the integrity of the exercise to ensure its credibility.
It is crystal clear, therefore, that Oladipupo Adebutu, the governorship candidate of PDP in Ogun State has no regard for the rule of law and democratic ideals, he has, by this action proved beyond any reasonable doubt that he is a power monger with tendencies that are completely inimical to democratic ethos and principles.
According to the evergreen postulation of the late American social crusader, Malcolm-X:” This life is dangerous to live not because of those who perpetrate evils but because of those who watched it and let it happen”. In that wise, every individual of good conscience in the State must rise up to condemn this dangerous desperation of Adebutu, as I call on our security agencies to investigate this and take appropriate action.
Adeniyi Gbolagade, Ijebu-ode.
