Gift Barry-ObaThe governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 elections in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, on Thursday disclosed that he lost the race because he refused to follow the road of violence and bloodshed.
Adebutu added that he prevented his supporters from matching violence with violence in all the 99 polling units were voting processes were disrupted by thugs.
OgunWatch had reported that during the March 18 elections, political thugs disrupted the voting processes by smashing, snatching and burning ballot boxes in some Local Government Areas in Ogun East and Ogun Central senatorial districts.
Elections in the affected voting areas were annulled by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the All Progressives Congress’s Governor Dapo Abiodun was declared winner with 276,298 votes against Adebutu’s 262,382.
But, PDP and Adebutu dragged Abiodun and APC before the Tribunal, alleging that the governor did not win the majority of votes cast during the March 18 governorship election.
Adebutu alleged that elections were disrupted by thugs in over 99 polling units, disenfranchising over 40,000 voters from participating in the election.
Adebutu, however, lost the legal battle from the tribunal up to the supreme court as Abiodun’s return as the winner of March 18 election was upheld by the court.
Adebutu who spoke during the 92 years remembrance of his great-grandfather, Pa Alimi Adebutu held at Ijeun-Akoni community in Odeda Local Government Area of the state, said the hoodlums allegedly sponsored by the ruling party went away with the act because he did not allow his supporters to repay violence with violence
Pa Adebutu died and was buried in the community in 1932.
Speaking with newsmen after the prayer session, the former governorship candidate said he believes in life after death, and as such, he will not play politics of desperation and violence.
“I believe in life after death, that is me. That is why you will see in the kind of politics that I play. You will never see violence, you will never see desperation.
“One reason why 99 polling booths in the last elections were destroyed was because I refused that my people should repay violence with violence. I cannot be part of the process of spilling blood. I can’t. This is because I believe life continues after death. I am always being careful,” Adebutu said.
He said Pa Adebutu, a trader and agriculturist, lived, died and was buried in the community as against him hometown because of his good deeds and contribution to the development of the community.
“It’s good to be good. After 92 years, these people have not forgotten him. They spoke glowingly of him. When he died, they refused that his corpse should be taken home because the man served the community well. When you do well, your legacy lingers,” he said.
