Kehinde Fajobi
Ladi Adebutu, the 2023 governorship candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, has dismissed the allegations against him by the Department of State Services (DSS) as “baseless.”
In a statement recounting his experience while in DSS custody in Abeokuta, Adebutu claimed the accusations were aimed at silencing his voice as an opposition leader.
Adebutu was arrested on Monday and questioned about the November 16 local government elections held across Ogun State’s 20 local government areas.
He was released early on Tuesday morning.
“It was about 7 am, Tuesday, 19th November 2024, I was released by the Department of State Services in Abeokuta following an invitation to answer to various spurious accusations all arising from the November 16 Local Government election in Ogun State,” Adebutu said.
“Very sadly, the allegations were so baseless that it became clear that their purpose was to silence me as a voice of the opposition.
“My contention that those elections were not free and fair is my fundamental right to free speech and free thought,” he added.
He reiterated his stance on financial autonomy for local governments, describing it as vital for national development.
“My thinking that the Local Government should have financial autonomy that can only be enforced by free and fair elections is germane to our development.
“Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, shares the same view as mine, which shows it is not a partisan position but a nationalistic one,” Adebutu noted.
He accused the Ogun State government of attempting to suppress the third tier of government over the past five years.
“Because of the particular situation of Ogun State over the last five years, which I shall publish shortly, desperation has set in to emasculate the third tier of government completely. This is the struggle for our development,” he said.
Adebutu also praised the DSS for handling the matter with professionalism.
“I seize this opportunity to appreciate our institutions as they gradually continue to grow. I must say I am pleasantly surprised at the professionalism and fairness the Department of State Services has treated this matter to date, particularly during my stay in their office,” he stated.
The politician acknowledged a recent Ogun State High Court judgment that upheld the PDP’s right to participate in the local government elections.
“I also acknowledge the judiciary for the forthright judgment we were able to obtain from the Ogun State High Court on Friday, 15th November 2024, in suit AB/784/2024, a suit filed for the purpose of excluding the Peoples Democratic Party from participating in the Local Government elections,” Adebutu explained.
He thanked supporters and critics alike, emphasising the need for collective efforts to achieve good governance.
“I thank all stakeholders, well-wishers, and, for that matter, non-well-wishers because together, we must move the narration forward and arrive at good governance,” Adebutu concluded.