Gafar Asaolu, the personal assistant to Ladi Adebutu, the former governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State, has been apprehended and is currently being held in police custody.
Asaolu’s arrest follows allegations that he spearheaded the violent attack on Muhammed Olaitan Efuwape, the vice chairmanship candidate for the All Progressives Congress in Ikenne Local Government Area, during the local government elections on Saturday.
It is reported that Efuwape narrowly escaped death, suffering injuries, while a man identified as Biola was not so fortunate.
Biola was severely injured after being shot by illegal police officers allegedly hired from Lagos, alongside some PDP thugs. He was promptly rushed to a nearby hospital for treatment.
The police detained Asaolu at the Eleweran headquarters of the Ogun State Police Command after he was brought in by his legal counsel.
His detention comes shortly after the arrest of his principal, Ladi Adebutu, by both the Department of State Services (DSS) and the police, as part of investigations into the violent incident.
In a related development, the Ogun State government has dismissed the allegations made by Adebutu, who accused Governor Dapo Abiodun of mismanaging local government funds over the past five years.
According to Adebutu, the governor had failed to account for the substantial sum of N214 billion allocated to local governments during that period.
However, the Ogun State government, in a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the Governor on Media and Strategy, Kayode Akinmade, quickly refuted the claims.
The government described Adebutu’s remarks as the “ranting of a drowning man,” suggesting that they were made in a desperate attempt to salvage his reputation after his recent troubles with security agencies.
The statement further pointed out that the accusations made by Adebutu were unsurprising, considering his ongoing investigations for alleged electoral violence and attempted murder.
It also highlighted Adebutu’s history of making unfounded and baseless claims, questioning his credibility and mental state.
“Ladi Adebutu’s statements are nothing more than the desperate cries of a man who has been rejected by the people. His accusations against the governor are outlandish and illogical. If he truly understood governance, he would not make such unfounded claims about the management of local government funds,” the statement read. “Governor Abiodun has never tampered with local government funds in Ogun State. Adebutu’s latest outbursts are merely an attempt to entertain his supporters, even if it means making ludicrous claims.”
The Ogun State government also ridiculed Adebutu’s political ambitions, claiming that he was a “child in an adult body” who was unfit to govern the state.
The statement continued, “If Ladi Adebutu, a child in an adult body, knows anything at all about the art of governance, let alone the activities of the Ogun State Government under Prince Dapo Abiodun, he would not be making such flippant, hollow, and jejune accusations.”
It further emphasized Adebutu’s history of legal and criminal issues, referencing his ongoing trial for vote-buying and conspiracy, and the period he spent as a fugitive abroad before returning to Nigeria.
“He has a notorious reputation for making baseless accusations against Governor Abiodun with reckless abandon,” the statement continued. “He is a man who believes that through rabble-rousing and blackmail, he can achieve what he failed to accomplish through electoral processes or the courts.”
Finally, the Ogun State government accused Adebutu of being a “sinking ship” attempting to drag others down with him in his quest for relevance.
The statement concluded by calling for Adebutu to be ignored, describing him as someone desperate for attention at any cost.
“You cannot take someone seriously who has resorted to thuggery and ballot-snatching to win elections. Ladi Adebutu is now a man looking for a way out of his own self-inflicted misfortune. He should be completely ignored by all right-thinking individuals,” the government’s statement added.
As the situation unfolds, both Asaolu and Adebutu remain embroiled in the controversy surrounding the elections, with the Ogun State government emphasizing the importance of holding accountable those involved in electoral violence.
