- It is statute-barred, spurious, baseless - Abiodun fires back

A member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ogun State, Ayodele Oludiran, has petitioned the National Chairman of the Party, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, alleging Governor Dapo Abiodun of criminal records and why he shouldn't be considered for a second term in office.

Oludiran, in the petition signed on April 12, a receipt copy of which has gone viral, alleged that Abiodun’s candidacy would portend danger for the APC with the damning allegations against him.

Oludiran further accused Governor Abiodun uof “concealing criminal offenses he allegedly committed in the USA in the 1980s.”

The petition told Adamu that a former prominent member of the APC, who just decamped to the opposition Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to procure a gubernatorial nomination form, has boasted to everyone that he has more compelling and damning documentary evidence against the Governor in his possession.

In his words, Oludiran noted that there are discrepancies in Forms CF001 the governor filled in 2015 and 2019 with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

He further alleged that both Primary schools Governor Abiodun claimed to have attended in his INEC forms CF001 both in 2015 and 2019; International Primary School Ayetoro and Comprehensive High School Ayetoro State Primary School, do not exist in Ogun State.

“All efforts to locate both schools, which would have been in the present Ekiti State or Ogun State - of the Old Western Region of Nigeria - proved impossible.

“I submit that if he indeed had attended any of the above-stated schools, he would have been consistent while filling the INEC forms.

“His claim to have attended non-existent schools in 1971 also amounts to lying on oath and presenting a false certificate to INEC which are very potent grounds for disqualification as enshrined in Section 182 (1) (j) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.”

Also, Oludiran said “Abiodun lied about his indictment and imprisonment in 1986.”

He explained: “On July 12, 1986, an African American male, born on the 22nd of June 1959, who went by the name Shawn Michael Davis, was arrested at the American Express Travellers Office located at 32, Miracle Mile in Coral Gables, Florida, by Officer G. Clayton of the CGPD and indicted for Forgery, altering a forged Travellers Cheque, grand theft and theft of a credit card belonging to Mr. John A. Moruay. 

“Similarly, at 8:20 pm on November 6, 1986, Officers R. Ubieta and R. Stewart of the Miami (Metropolitan) Dade police department (MDPD), Florida, assisted by US Secret Service Agent, S.A, Tim Cristine, arrested one Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun (a male Security guard, an African of Nigerian origin with Date of Birth; May 29, 1960) at 85ST, SW 107AVE (Horizons East) for forgery, altering forged instrument and resisting arrest with violence.

“While being processed at the Miami (Metropolitan) Dade Police Department (MDPD) for detention, the fingerprint of the suspect, Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun, was squared on the US criminal database and it was discovered that the suspect is the same person as Michael Shawn Davis earlier mentioned, who then was still facing trial, and released on bail, at Coral Gables. 

“Adedapo Oluseun Abiodun was thereafter indicted for the offense of credit card fraud in Miami Dade, Florida, USA, and remanded in jail as a repeat offender with jail number: 860089436.”

Oludiran expressed concern that the Abiodun in 2015 and 2019 claimed in his INEC forms CF001, under oath, that he had never been under any sentence of imprisonment, fine for any offense of dishonesty or fraud or any offense imposed by a Court, saying the claim is false.

He also hinted that Abiodun did not disclose to INEC that he has another name as Shawn Michael Davis.

He said the governor “dubiously omitted Section B(3) “Former Names” in both forms, whereas Appendix 20, also herewith attached, expressly shows that competent authority, of the Circuit and County Court of the Eleventh Judicial Circuit of Florida in and For Miami Dade County, captured and affirmed that he was - as far back as 1986 - also known as Shawn Michael Davis.”

But the Governor while reacting to the allegations in a response also addresses to the Party Chairman through Afe Babalola and Co and signed by one Kehinde Ogunwumiju (SAN), a receipt copy of which was obtained by Independent, appealed to the Party Chairman to disregard the petitioner saying it was full of spurious and unfounded allegations meant to mislead the party into disqualifying Abiodun.

While noting that the petitions are nothing more than the machinations of political jobbers and saboteurs sponsored by desperate opposition elements to disrupt the peaceful political atmosphere in Ogun, Abiodun said the petitioner relied only on hearsays.

Abiodun argued that all issues relating to information on his forms CF001 both in 2015 and 2019 have been subjected to court process through the last election petition Tribunal and has been decided in his favour up to the Supreme Court level.

It further stated that the alleged  contradiction in the two INEC Forms cannot longer be a ground to disqualify Governor Abiodun in the upcoming 2023 gubernatorial election, Forms CF001 for 2015 and 2019 are spent and cannot be used to determine the eligibility of the governor to contest in the next governorship election.

On the allegation that the governor had been convicted for an offence in 1986, the chamber said the  petitioner failed to attach any court judgment to the petition to this effect, hence, the allegation was baseless, asking the APC top echelon to discountenance as such.

The firm also denied the allegation in the petition that the governor has a former name, declaring 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.

"Finally, we pray that the petition should be disregarded as it is fraught with falsehood, speculation, inaccuracies."