OGUN State governor Dapo Abiodun has asked the National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Adamu to disregard a petition filed against his bid for a second term in office.
Abiodun was accused of concealing criminal offenses he allegedly committed in the United States in a petition filed by a member of the APC, Ayodele Oludiran.
The petition, which was addressed to the APC national chairman, was dated April 12.
Reacting in a counter petition filed by his lawyers, Afe Babalola & Co, on Wednesday, the governor described the allegations as spurious and unfounded.
He noted that the petition was intended to mislead the party into disqualifying him from participating in the 2023 gubernatorial election.
Abiodun noted that Oludiran’s failure to serve the petition on him “was a deliberate move to deprive him (Abiodun) of the opportunity to set the records straight and knowing full well that the petition was characterized by falsehood and malice”.
He added that the allegation of discrepancies in his INEC Form CF001 for 2015 and 2019 was statute-barred.
Abiodun, in the counter petition filed by his lawyers, argued that the allegation could only form the basis of a cause of action in court 14 days from the day he filed and deposed to the forms.
The governor further stated that the alleged contradiction in the two INEC forms cannot longer be a ground to disqualify him in the upcoming 2023 gubernatorial election as Forms CF001 for 2015 and 2019 are spent and cannot be used to determine his eligibility to contest in the next governorship election.
Recalling that court cases were filed in court and petitions filed at the Governorship Election Tribunal seeking to disqualify him based on allegations of falsehood and inconsistency in the two INEC forms, Abiodun noted that both the tribunal and the court were unanimous in their decisions not only that the allegations were status-barred, but held that the said Forms CF001 of 2015 and 2019 did not contain any false statement.
He further noted that the Supreme Court had also affirmed the decisions of the tribunal and the Appeal Court by dismissing the petition of false statement filed against him.
Speaking on the governor’s alleged conviction, Afe Babalola & Co said the petitioner failed to attach any court judgment to his petition.
The law firm asked the APC leadership of to disregard the petition because it was baseless.
The firm also denied the allegation in the petition that the governor has a former name.
It declared that the governor has always been known as Prince Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun, adding that “he never bore the name ‘Shawn Michael Davis’ or any other name however described.
“His name is reflected in all his certificates and other former documents. We urge Your Excellency to disregard the petitioner’s unfounded allegation”, Afe Babalola & Co said.
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