African Democratic Congress in Ogun State, on Thursday, accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of running a “draconian government” by intimidating and trampling on the traditional rulers in the state.
ADC also expressed displeasure, alleging that Abiodun “is fast descending into an autocratic regime where opposition parties are being intimated, harassed and denied freedom of assembly.”
ADC leaders made the allegations at a press conference in Abeokuta, on Thursday.
Senator Iyabode Anisulowo, who spoke on behalf of the leaders, accused Governor Abiodun of preventing the Council of Awori Obas, led by the Olota of Ota, Oba Adeyemi Abdulkabir Obalanlege, from receiving their governorship candidate, Biyi Otegbeye, on a courtesy visit scheduled to hold on Thursday at the palace of the monarch.
Anisulowo, who was flanked by the former Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Hon. Muyiwa Oladipupo, and other leaders of the party, said ADC had scheduled a meeting with the monarch to pay homage to him and also intimate him with their programmes, but the meeting was later cancelled without any “justifiable reason”.
According to Anisulowo, “The intimidation by the Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, that led to the sudden cancellation of the planned visit of Barrister Biyi Otegbeye, the Gubernatorial Candidate of ADC to the Council of Awori Obas which was scheduled for today, is shameful.
“It is sad that our revered traditional institution which is the custodian of our culture and values is being trampled upon by Governor Dapo Abiodun. This harassment by Abiodun and his failed party (APC) is a sacrilege and a total desecration of the traditional institution.
“It is even worse that he decided to wield such draconian powers on Ogun West by preventing Yewa-Awori monarchs from receiving their own son on their land. As we speak, the same man is currently meeting with Obas in Ijebu-Ode just as he has been doing throughout the state. This is pathologically hypocritical and a double standard.”
The ADC leaders, therefore, vowed to resist any attempt by the governor to kill opposition parties in the state.
But in a swift reaction, Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Waheed Odusile, said the allegations were not true.
“That cannot be true, it is not true. We don’t tell Obas what to do, that is definitely not true,” Odusile said.