My Arrest, Plot To Silence Voice Of Opposition On Ogun LG Election – Adebutu

The detained former governorship candidate of the Ogun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the year 2023 election, Hon Ladi Adebutu, yesterday regained his freedom following his arrest and detention by the Department of State Security Service (DSS).

Adebutu, who was invited for interrogation by the DSS on Monday to explain his involvement in an alleged disturbance during the local government election held last Saturday, later regained his freedom in the early hours of Tuesday, having been quizzed by the agency who declined his release on Monday evening.

Narrating his experience in the hands of the Secret Police department, Adebutu said his arrest and eventual detention by the agency ab initio were part of the plots to silence the leading opposing voices that have been condemning the poor conduct of the Local Government election held in the state by the state’s Independent Electoral Commission (OGSIEC).

Speaking further, Adebutu, in a statement he signed, explained that the allegations levelled against his personality “were so baseless that it became clear that their purpose was to silence me as a voice of the opposition.

“My contention that those elections were not free and fair is my fundamental right to free speech and thought”.

“My thinking that the Local Government should have financial autonomy that can only be enforced by free and fair elections is germane to our development. Mr President, Senator Bola Ahmed Tinubu, GCFR, shares the same view as mine, which shows it is not a partisan position but a nationalistic one”.

“However, because of the particular situation of Ogun State over the last five years, which I shall publish shortly, desperation has set in to emasculate the third tier of government completely. This is the struggle for our development”.
“I seize this opportunity to appreciate our institutions as they gradually continue to grow; I must say I am pleasantly surprised at the professionalism and fairness with which the Department of State Services (DSS) has treated this matter to date, particularly during my stay in their office”.