Politics
Adebutu accuses IG of suppressing investigation against Abiodun on vote buying, election violence

The Governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, has accused the police of covering up investigation into allegations of vote buying and electoral violence against Governor Dapo Abiodun and the All Progressives Congress (APC) during the March 18 governorship election.
Adebutu said, his party had six weeks ago written a petition to the Inspector General of Police, demanding the investigation of Abiodun and the APC over allegations of vote buying, electoral violence and voters’ intimidation during the election.
Adebutu who spoke through the Media Director of his campaign organisation, Afolabi Orekoya in Abeokuta, on Wednesday accused Abiodun and APC of using the police to subvert justice by intimidating and harassing him.
He accused Abiodun and the APC of using N3billion of State fund to induce voters and thugs to disrupt elections in serveral parts of the State.
Adebutu said, “We have petitioned the Nigerian Police for the past six weeks, but we are surprise why the police has not opened up an investigation into our petition against Abiodun and the APC on the votes bought by them.
“It is everywhere in the media that Governor Dapo Abiodun induced voters with tax payers’ money.
“This is why they are covering up all the shenanigans and they have not allowed the police to do their job.
“We are calling on the IGP to please in the interest of the good people of Ogun State allow this petition to see the light of the day, they should not cover it up, they should not suppress it.
“We know all the moves the Governor have been making to ensure that all these investigations are not being carried out.
“We are appealing to the IGP to speedily allow thorough investigation into how Dapo Abiodun used about N3bn of tax payers’ money to buy votes in Ogun State with the help of One Card limited”.
Reacting to the suit against him at the High Court over alleged voting buying, Adebutu insisted that he was neither invited by the police nor served of any court document regarding the suit.
He described the suit as an abuse of court process and a plot by Abiodun and the APC to distract the Tribunal from doing its job.
He debunked the report that he travelled out of the country to evade police arrest, saying he travelled on 25th April for usual medical route check-up after the election.
“We are just seeing it also in the media and I will just want to make some points clear, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu has not been served with any court document as regards any charges expect for the media trial that we are seeing all around to mislead the public and the Tribunal”.
“They (APC and Abiodun) are only trying to distract people and distract the judiciary from giving proper attention to the merit of the petition before them. They should allow the Tribunal to do their job, this is an abuse of court process, they should allow the Tribunal do their job and at the end of the day we will know who actually perpetrated vote buying or not.”
Politics
JUST IN: APC expels Aregbesola over anti-party activities

The All Progressives Congress has expelled a former Minister of Interior and ex-Osun State Governor, Rauf Aregbesola, over alleged anti-party activities.Aregbesola, who led Osun State for two terms, had spearheaded a faction within the APC known as The Osun Progressives which was later rebranded as the Omoluabi Caucus.A letter from the APC leadership seen by newsmen on Wednesday officially confirmed Aregbesola’s expulsion.The letter, titled “Allegations of Anti-Party Activities – Conveyance of State Exco Decision to You,” accused him of breaching Article 21 of the party’s constitution, which outlines disciplinary measures for members.
The letter read in part, “At the end of the investigation, the State Executive Committee (SEC) considered the report of the Disciplinary Committee. Having carefully reviewed the findings and recommendations, the SEC resolved to approve your immediate expulsion from the APC.“The decision was predicated on clear evidence of your actions, which undermined the unity and integrity of the party. As a result, you are no longer a member of the APC and must refrain from holding yourself out as one or acting on behalf of the party in any capacity.”The former minister’s expulsion followed a Sunday meeting of the Omoluabi Caucus, presided over by Aregbesola, where the group announced its decision to exit the APC, citing the party’s waning influence in Osun.
PUNCH
Politics
Rivers: Supreme Court Fixes February 10 To Hear Five Cases

The Supreme Court, today, fixed February 10, 2025, for the hearing of five separate cases instituted by the camps of the Rivers State Governor, Siminalayi Fubara and the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, at the apex Court.A five-member panel of the apex court, led by Justice Uwani Musa Aba-Aji, ordered an adjournment in the cases to enable the parties to file and serve the necessary court documents in the separate appeals.For ease of determination, however, the court ordered the consolidation of four of the appeals, following a request to that effect by the appellants’ counsel Joseph Daudu, SAN, who represented the Wike camp.The four appeals the court consolidated for ease of hearing are: SC/CV/1174/2024, between Rivers State House of Assembly and others against the Rivers State Government and nine others; SC/CV/1175/2024, between Rivers State House of Assembly and others against the Rivers State Governor and nine others; SC/CV/1176/2024, between Rivers State House of Assembly and others against Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission, RSIEC, and nine others; and SC/CV/1177/2024, between Rivers State House of Assembly and others against the Accountant General of Rivers State and nine others.Earlier, following a request for the withdrawal of a cross-appeal filed on November 18, 2024, in SC/CV/1071A/2024, between Rivers State House of Assembly and others against the National Assembly and 16 others, Justice Aba-Aji announced that hearing has been fixed for February 10, 2025.Justice James Omotosho of the Federal High Court in Abuja had in a judgment delivered on January 22, 2024, faulted the presentation of the 2024 budget to four members of the State House of Assembly loyal to the governor.Omotosho had then ordered the governor to re-present the budget to the Martin Amaewhule-led faction of the assembly loyal to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike.Flowing from the judgment of Justice Omotosho, a sister court, also in the Abuja division, presided over by Justice Joyce Abdulmalik, had ordered the stoppage of the release of allocations from the federal government to Rivers State until the governor presented the budget before the Amaewhule-led assembly.The Court of Appeal in Abuja affirmed the judgment of Justice Omotosho.
Politics
Breaking: Ondo Gov dissolves cabinet, retains two commissioners

Ondo State Governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, has dissolved the State Executive Council with immediate effect.The dissolution, announced on Wednesday, exempts two cabinet members—Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr. Kayode Ajulo, and Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac—due to the critical nature of their duties.In a statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the affected officials were directed to hand over all government properties in their possession to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.The statement read, “The Governor of Ondo State, Hon Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved the dissolution of the State Executive Council, with immediate effect.
“However, the Governor has exempted two members of the cabinet from the dissolution, due to the critical nature of their duties. They are the Attorney General and Commissioner for Justice, Dr Kayode Ajulo, SAN, and the Commissioner for Finance, Mrs. Omowunmi Isaac.“All the affected cabinet members are to hand over all government properties in their care to the accounting officers of their respective ministries.”Aiyedatiwa expressed gratitude to the outgoing cabinet members for their contributions to the state’s development during their tenure, wishing them success in their future endeavours.
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