Suspected political thugs destroy Adebutu’s posters in Ogun, police talks tough

 

Some men suspected to be members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were caught on camera as they destroyed campaign posters of the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu.

In a viral video, the men were seen removing the posters and mini billboards from where they were placed.

The campaign materials were angrily torn and destroyed by the irate youths for yet to be identified reasons.

The incident, DAILY POST gathered, happened at Iperu, in Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.

Iperu is the hometown of both Adebutu and Governor Dapo Abiodun, who is also contesting the 2023 governorship election.

Making many unsavoury comments about the PDP and its candidate, the young men said they would not allow any PDP posters in their street, threatening to attack anybody.

“Anybody should be careful, I will bring guns and shoot anybody. I have no time for madness,” one of the men could be heard talking in Yoruba language in the video.

Meanwhile, the PDP has condemned the act, saying the action, if not curbed, “will undermine the peace and tranquillity in Ogun State and the acts of confrontation and violence will put the peace of the State in danger.”

In a statement by the Director, Media and Publicity, Adebutu/Akinlade campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, the PDP said Ogun people are not touts and no amount of intimidation would change the decision of the people to vote the APC out of office come 2023.

According to him, the APC had attempted to sow the seed of discord in the PDP so as to be the sole contestant in the 2023 elections by sponsoring a series of litigations against the PDP but it failed; stressing that the party has now resorted to the destruction of posters and campaign materials.

For peace to reign in the State, he called on security agencies to caution their political thugs, whom he described as elements of destruction, asking the governor to call the said youths to order against “their destructive actions and attacks on the opposition ahead of the 2023 elections.”

Following the incident, the Ogun State Police Command has expressed concern over the activities of the “hoodlums, who have been engaging in destruction of campaign billboards and posters of candidates of political parties in the State.”

According to a statement by the spokesperson of the command, Abimbola Oyeyemi, on Wednesday, some hoodlums had earlier vandalized the campaign billboards of the ruling APC in the previous week.

In view of this, the command warned: “those behind the dastardly act to desist forthwith or be ready to face the dire consequences of their actions.”

Oyeyemi said the police would not tolerate any act of lawlessness before, during or after the 2023 general elections.

“Therefore, anyone caught perpetrating any act capable of undermining the peaceful atmosphere in the state will be severely dealt with in accordance with the provisions of the law.

“Anyone who attempts to test our resolve in this regard will have him or herself to blame.

“Politicians are also by this release advised to play the game according to the rules, and call their supporters to do same to avoid dire consequences,” Oyeyemi warned.