ABEOKUTA – Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ogun State governorship election held on March 18, has expressed his disapproval of the recent ruling by the election petitions tribunal. The tribunal upheld the victory of Dapo Abiodun from the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the duly elected governor of the state.
Adebutu characterized the tribunal’s decision as unexpected, disheartening, and a potential threat to Nigeria’s democracy. He indicated that the tribunal’s focus on technicalities rather than the substantive merits and evidence presented in his petition left him with no alternative but to pursue all available legal avenues, including an appeal to the higher court, to reclaim what he believes to be his stolen mandate.
In a statement released in Abeokuta, Ogun State, through the Director of Media for the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, Adebutu stated, “The judgment, which solely relied on peculiar technicalities, failed to consider the substantial evidence and merits presented during the trial.”
“We firmly adhere to the principles of democracy, transparency, and the rule of law. We embarked on this legal process to seek justice for the people of Ogun State, whose mandate we believe was unjustly taken away. Our commitment to this cause remains steadfast, and we will explore all legal avenues to ensure that the people’s will is respected, justice is served, and the mandate is restored.”
Adebutu also expressed regret that the tribunal’s focus appeared to be on linguistic technicalities rather than a comprehensive examination of the significant evidence submitted. He emphasized that they had provided substantial evidence that raised serious concerns about the election’s conduct, including marked ballot papers, and expressed confidence that a closer scrutiny of this evidence would have revealed the true extent of the irregularities and discrepancies that occurred during the election.
