Ogun guber: Adebutu vows to reclaim his “stolen mandate” in court

Hon. Ladi Adebutu, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in the March 18 election in Ogun, has vowed to reclaim his “stolen mandate” at the election petition tribunal.

He said this while addressing members of his party, shortly after some PDP House of Assembly members-elect had collected their Certificates of Return from INEC, on Friday in Abeokuta.

He expressed optimism that the tribunal would serve a deserving justice.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Adebutu had rejected the outcome of the election, alleging irregularities, violence and massive rigging.

NAN also reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Gov. Dapo Abiodun of All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the election.

He polled a total of 276,298 votes, while Adebutu scored 262,383, with Biyi Otegbeye, of African Democratic Congress (ADC), trailing behind with 94,754 votes.

Dissatisfied with the declaration, Adebutu vowed to explore all available legal means to challenge Abiodun’s victory.

He accused the state Returning officer Prof. Kayode Adebowale, of subverting the will of the people by declaring Abiodun as the winner of the election.

Adebutu also described the governorship election as the worst in the history of the country’s democracy.

“What I saw in the elections is politics of intimidation, harassment and subversion.

“It was the first time in the history of our democracy that people were harassed, intimidated and threatened not to come out to vote.

“Lots of injustice were perpetrated. I feel very aggrieved because we saw lots of inconsistencies. We are law abiding; before they (INEC) made that declaration, we informed them, we petitioned them to show that that declaration was wrongful.

“We recognised that everything that happened in this election, we must contest it, because it was a subversion of our democracy.

“If we fail to contest it, we are killing this nation.

“No fewer than 42,000 people were disenfranchised and they now said they were leading by 13,000 votes. So what about those who were disenfranchised?," he queried.

He assured party faithful and his supporters that all the identified anomalies at the election would be corrected by the tribunal.