* Says action was to silence him
The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) Governorship candidate in Ogun State, Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu has been released from DSS detention. Adebutu who was detained on Monday night after honouring the invitation by the Department of State Security Service, was released on Tuesday morning at about 7am. The PDP governorship candidate in a statement and made available to newsmen, said he was invited to answer accusations rising from the last Saturday local government elections in Ogun State.
According to him, the allegations were baseless, saying the purpose was to silence him as the voice of opposition in the state. He noted that he was invited by the DSS for saying the local government elections held in Ogun State were not free and fair, expressing surprise for exercising his fundamental right of free speech, opined that local government should have financial Autonomy that can only be enforced by free and fair election. According to him, “At about 7am, Tuesday, 19th November, 2024, I was released by the Department of State Services (DSS) in Abeokuta following an invitation to answer to various spurious accusations all arising from the November 16 Local Government election in Ogun State.
“Very sadly, the allegations 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 free 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 the Department of State Services has treated this matter till date particularly, during my stay in their office. “I also acknowledge the judiciary for the forthright judgment we were able to obtain from the Ogun State High Court on Friday, 15th November, 2024 in suit AB/784/2024, a suit filed for the purpose of excluding the Peoples Democratic Party from participating in the Local Government elections.”
