The governor of Ogun State, Dapo Abiodun, and his opponent, Ladi Adebutu, in the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial race, have traded jabs over the effectiveness of the current administration during its previous five years in power.
Iperu-Remo brothers Abiodun and Adebutu are split apart by politics and ambition.
In the most recent election, Abiodun received 276,298 votes to overcome Adebutu’s 262,383, which was announced as the winner by Prof. Kayode Adebowale, the state returning officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC.
However, the PDP candidate contested the results before the Ogun State Governorship Election Petitions Tribunal in Abeokuta, rejecting the findings of the claims of irregularities.
Among other things, he claimed that the poll was not carried out in a way that substantially complied with the Electoral Act’s requirements.
Adebutu was unsuccessful in his attempt to have the verdicts of the Tribunal, Court of Appeal, and Supreme Court reverse Abiodun’s election victory as Ogun Governor. They resolved the issue.
The “war of words” between the two Iperu brothers was restarted a year after Abiodun was sworn in for a second term.
Read Also: APC lacks understanding of governance and transparency compared to PDP- Adebutu
Adebutu launched his assault in the penultimate round on Friday, criticising Governor Abiodun’s infrastructure initiatives and calling them a display of poor leadership ability.
The PDP leader voiced dissatisfaction with the recent road commissioning in Ogun at Odogbolu Local Government, drawing comparisons with the commissioning in Oyo State, which involved the construction of nearly 77 km of roads, including highways in undeveloped areas.
He expressed his embarrassment at having grown up in the same town as the governor.
Our location was Ogbomoso. The entire country can learn from the PDP government of Governor Seyi Makinde’s extensive infrastructure development.
“There should be less focus on the centres if all of the federating states actively carry out their roles. PDP remains PDP.
When I was in Oyo State, the PDP governor officially opened a 77-kilometer state road. It wasn’t just resurfacing the already-existing road; he also carried out simultaneous urban and rural development.
“He makes roads on undeveloped land, but my brother from my hometown in Iperu now places bandstands there, and he was commissioning a few-kilometer stretch of newly paved road.”
“Now, contrast that APC member with the events of yesterday in Oyo State to see how the APC and PDP vary from each other.
“Even though the resources in Oyo State are relatively small compared to those in Ogun State, we understand governance, we are transparent, and we are able to do well.”
He remarked, “I feel ashamed, I covered my eyes because Dapo shows his diminished acumen and is from the same place as me.”
“Now that he had placed bands on the road, my brother from my town in Iperu was commissioning a resurface and expanded road, or a baby of a few kilometres.”
Speaking at his 64th birthday and fifth Thanksgiving service in Abeokuta, the governor replied to Adebutu in a tactful manner, stating he had come to the conclusion that persons who bark when they are not in the spotlight should be ignored.
Adebutu, however, was taken to task by a sharply written statement signed by Kayode Akinmade, Abiodun’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, characterising him as a spoiled brat who was mentally incapable of understanding his (Abiodun’s) performance in office.
It goes without saying that no rational person in good health could simply get out of bed in the wrong position and begin to criticise what the entire world is celebrating. Oladipupo Adebutu is a verified lazy brat, so we can appreciate his limitations, but we had no idea his lack of manners had gotten to the point where it was becoming a problem.
“Adebutu’s antecedents are primarily rooted in a life of recklessness and uncontrollably verbal diarrhoea, with his father’s free money being the only accomplishment.”
“Adebutu is advised to focus on his criminal case and confront it head-on until he receives rehabilitation after facing the full force of the law for his atrocities,” the statement read.
Adebutu responded to Abiodun’s remarks a few hours later with a statement from his media assistant, Afolabi Orekoya.
The governor was often accused by the PDP head of benefiting from his family’s wealth.
“While we thank God for His grace and blessings upon the Adebutu family, we also need to remind Mr. Abiodun that he has also at different times been a beneficiary of the Adebutu family’s wealth he is now mocking,” Mr. Dapo Abiodun said, referring to Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu as a “overfed brat” because of his family’s wealth.
Nonetheless, some claim that the recent round of insults is a sign of things to come for the state’s next gubernatorial election.
