- He stated that the allegations levelled against him were unfounded and aimed to gag him as a voice of the opposition.
The 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, Ladi Adebutu, has opened up on his arrest by the Department of State Services, DSS.
The PDP chieftain was apprehended by secret police on Monday and detained till Tuesday.
Speaking on his ordeal, Adebutu said his arrest was not unconnected to the conduct of the November 16 local government elections.
Adebutu had at a press conference on Monday said Saturday’s election was not free and fair.
Shortly after the press conference, Adebutu was arrested and detained by the DSS.
Adebutu who was released at about 7am on Tuesday, stated that the allegations levelled against him were unfounded and aimed to gag him as a voice of the opposition.
He said financial autonomy of the local government can only br guaranteed through fair and credible elections.
He said, ” 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” he stated.
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