Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for governor in the March 18 Ogun state election, Ladi Adebutu, says he went into hiding after an alleged threat on his life.
Adebutu revealed this in an interview with the Saturday Tribune, saying that he was speaking from somewhere outside of Nigeria. He did not reveal the exact location of it.
He said he decided to yell after the State Security Service (SSS) withdrew its officers attached to it and the police reduced theirs.
Adebutu got 262,383 votes in the election which was won by Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) with 276,298 votes.
Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun [PHOTO CREDIT: dapoabiodunmfr]Mr. Adebutu has filed a petition with the state Governor’s Election Petition Court to challenge Mr. Abiodun’s declaration as the winner of the election.
He denounced excess votes and violation of the Electoral Law.
He also said that the number of canceled votes was greater than the margin by which Abiodun defeated him.
According to him, since he approached the court, he has used a mixture of persuasion and subtle threats to force him to withdraw the petition.
He said he felt exposed to harm after the SSS withdrew its staff and the police reduced theirs.
Mr. Adebutu further said that he was in possession of credible intelligence that attempts to abduct him were being made prior to the resolution of his petition.
“God will not allow his evil plans for us to materialize,” he said in the interview. “That is why I have decided to go into self-exile for my own safety.”