The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged Ladi Adebutu, the unsuccessful candidate of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the recent governorship election, to come back to Nigeria and address the criminal charges brought against him rather than evading them by seeking refuge elsewhere.

In a statement signed by the State Assistant Publicity Secretary of APC, Ogunsanya Olusola Blessed, the party begged Ladi Adebutu to “please come back home and face his criminal charges because he cannot run forever”

The statement read further: “We do not wish to join issues with Adebutu on his baseless petition against the duly elected Governor of Ogun State, Prince Dapo Abiodun, but only to advise him to return home to face pending criminal charges against him and his cohorts. “Medical check-up” cannot be forever, just as he cannot run away forever from the law.

“At one point, the fugitive said his life “was being threatened”, at another point his lawyers, Ehi Uwaifoh and Co, wrote on May 2, 2023 to the police acknowledging police invitation to Adebutu to interact with the police same May 2, 2023. Surprisingly, as at yesterday, in some publications, the bundle of contradictions said he “was never invited by the police”.

Ijo Uwaifoh and Co in its letter dated May 2, 2023 and addressed to the police wrote that: “we act for and represent Hon Ladi Adebutu and it’s on his instruction and behalf that we write you as follows: Our Client was informed on Saturday April 29, 2023 that he has a letter of invitation from your office inviting him for May 2, 2023.

Prior to the delivery of your letter, our client has left the country for his medicals and his return date is dependent on his doctors”.

The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly criticized Ladi Adebutu, who is currently evading criminal charges, accusing him of attempting to deceive the public through media outlets by claiming he was never invited by the police. The APC emphasized that Adebutu is actually a fugitive running away from the law, and if he had been elected as Governor, it would have been a disgrace for the state.

In response to the APC’s pleadings at the Tribunal, Adebutu filed a reply falsely asserting that he has never been summoned for questioning by any law enforcement agency. However, the APC pointed out that in the documents he submitted to the court in his case against the Attorney General of the Federation and others, he himself presented a letter of invitation, which could potentially lead to a perjury conviction.

“We call on the PDP to demonstrate obedience to the laws of the land, by persuading its defeated candidate, Ladi Adebutu, to come back home and face his criminal trial and stop blabbing from self-imposed exile.”

Instead of shifting blame onto others for his troubles, it would be more honorable for him to accept the opportunity provided by the law and face the charges against him. It was solely his decision, on February 27, to apply to Zenith Bank for the issuance of 200,000 cards. From March 6, he personally started receiving the cards from his account officer. Then, on March 16 and 17, just before the Gubernatorial elections, he decided to fund these 200,000 cards with 10,000 Naira each from his personal account at Zenith Bank. These same cards were later distributed by his agents, some of whom were apprehended, to voters on Election Day. Neither Governor Dapo Abiodun nor the APC requested, facilitated, or encouraged him to engage in any of these actions. Therefore, it is unjustified to now blame others for his own recklessness.

The APC, being a party that upholds the law, will employ every available legal avenue to not only protect the mandate bestowed upon His Excellency, Prince Dapo Abiodun, by the honorable people of Ogun State but also to ensure that those who violated electoral laws are held responsible for their actions. This is crucial in order to discourage any potential repetition of such dishonorable conduct in the future.