2023 Election: I Stopped My Supporters From Being Violent – Adebutu

By Taiwo Bankole

The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party during the 2023 elections in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, on Thursday, explained why he lost the governorship election to Gov Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress.

Both politicians, Abiodun and Adebutu, are kinsmen from Iperu Remo in the Ikenne Local Government Area of the state.

Adebutu said he lost the elections because he refused to toe the path of violence and spilling of blood.

The former federal lawmaker reprensenting Remo Federal Constituency said he particularly prevented his supporters from matching violence with violence in all the 99 polling units where voting processes were allegedly disrupted by thugs.

Political thugs reportedly during the March 18 elections destroyed voting processes by smashing, snatching and burning ballot boxes in some Local Government Areas in Ogun East and Ogun Central senatorial districts.

The Independent National Electoral Commission cancelled elections in the affected voting areas and in the end, Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress was declared winner after polling 276,298 votes against Adebutu who had 262,38 votes.

But, the PDP and Adebutu dragged Abiodun and the APC before the tribunal, alleging that the governor did not win the majority of votes cast during the March 18 governorship election.

Adebutu alleged that elections were disrupted by thugs in over 99 polling units, disenfranchising over 40,000 voters from participating in the election.

Adebutu, however, lost the legal battle from the tribunal up to the Supreme Court as Abiodun’s return as the winner of March 18 election was upheld by the court.

Speaking on Thursday, the PDP chieftain said the hoodlums allegedly sponsored by the ruling party went away with the act because he did not allow his supporters to repay violence with violence.

Adebutu spoke at Ijeun-Akoni, a remote community in Odeda Local Government Area of the state, during the 92 years remembrance of his great-grandfather, Pa Alimi Adebutu.

Pa Adebutu died and was buried in the community in 1932.

Speaking with newsmen after the prayer session, the former governorship candidate said he believes in life after death, and as such, he will not play politics of desperation and violence.

“I believe in life after death, that is me. That is why you will see in the kind of politics that I play. You will never see violence, you will never see desperation.

“One reason why 99 polling booths in the last elections were destroyed was because I refused that my people should repay violence with violence. I cannot be part of the process of spilling blood. I can’t. This is because I believe life continues after death. I am always being careful,” Adebutu said.

He said Pa Adebutu, a trader and agriculturist, lived, died and was buried in the community as against his hometown because of his good deeds and contribution to the development of the community.

“It’s good to be good. After 92 years, these people have not forgotten him. They spoke glowingly of him. When he died, they refused that his corpse should be taken home because the man served the community well. When you do well, your legacy lingers,” he said.

The spokesman of the ruling APC, Tunde Oldunjoye, has, however, said that whatever Adebutu is saying is nothing but campaign after election.

Reacting to Adebutu’s outburst, Oladunjoye said, “Let him be campaigning after the election. The public knew those who engaged in violence and other criminalities. They are not that forgetful.

“Adebutu should concentrate on his ongoing trial for vote buying.”