The 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu, was reportedly summoned by the Ogun State Police Command to report to its headquarters in Abeokuta.
The invitation is reportedly linked to alleged disruptions during the November 16, 2024, local government elections, which saw the All Progressives Congress (APC) secure all available seats.
Although the police have yet to confirm this development, sources indicate to Channels TV that Adebutu remains in custody at the Command’s headquarters in Ogun State.
He is accused of recruiting approximately 40 unauthorized police officers from Lagos and allegedly mobilizing PDP supporters to disrupt the electoral process.
This invitation follows closely on the heels of Adebutu’s questioning by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS), which occurred the day before.
In a statement released after his release by the DSS on November 19, 2024, Adebutu dismissed the allegations as unfounded and described his detention as an effort to suppress opposition voices.
“At about 7 a.m. on Tuesday, November 19, 2024, I was released by the Department of State Services in Abeokuta after responding to various baseless accusations stemming from the November 16 local government elections in Ogun State,” Adebutu stated.
“The allegations were so baseless that it became evident their sole purpose was to silence me as a voice of the opposition. My critique of the electoral process as not free and fair is a fundamental right rooted in free speech and thought,” he asserted.
Adebutu further emphasized his stance on the need for local government financial autonomy, achieved through transparent and credible elections.
He noted that this view aligns with that of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, describing it as a patriotic and non-partisan perspective aimed at national development.
