Police did not arrest, release Ogun RTEAN chairman for violence on election day — Association

Ifedayo Ogunyemi

Contrary to accusations made by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), the Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) in Ogun State has said that its chairman, Titilayo Akibu, was neither arrested nor released in relation to election violence during last Saturday’s governorship and assembly election in the state.

A statement made available to Nigerian Tribune by RTEAN State Secretary, Comrade Tiwalade Akingbade, said Akibu popularly known as Efele was not arrested alongside any “publicity secretary of the government-controlled transport union, Danny and the Chairman of Sagamu Local Government, Afolabi Odulate with AK-47 automatic rifle and other condiments.”

He further described the allegations levelled by the PDP as “false, mischievous, baseless, incredible and without concrete evidence,” adding that the union doesn’t a publicity secretary known as Danny.

Akingbade who doubles as the Assistant National Secretary of the union noted that Akibu never left his Ososa home after casting his ballot and was nowhere near Sagamu where the purported violence took place on election day.

The statement reads in part: “We want to add that one ‘Danny’ mentioned in the PDP statement is not known to us and not a member of our great Association. ‘Danny’ is not the ‘Publicity Secretary’ of our Association.

“If a political chieftain was arrested or any other one for that matter, it is not epidemiologically correct to link our state chairman to such a detested acts of violence, disruption of voting process and ballot box snatching.

“We believe that PDP was engaging on this smear and wild voyage because of the disappointment of the outcome of the election. They resorted to blackmail, name-calling, character assassination, threat and intimidation because there is lack of substantial facts or evidence in their baseless and unfathomed allegations and false accusations against our own Efele.

“Accordingly, we issue this rebuttal against the trivial accusations and allegations to demonstrate that the leadership of our great association would not be involved in acts inimical to achieving peaceful, credible, fair and open elections.

“There is no substance in the PDP claims. It is mere instruments of political justifications, baseless rhetoric and propaganda to justify their claims of rigged elections. It is bereft of substantial evidence and mere false accusation.”

He also reiterated that the RTEAN is not a “government controlled union” and has disdain for violence and thuggery in whatever forms, adding that it was for the same reason that the association sensitised its members to avoid being used by politicians to cause political unrest ahead of both the presidential and governorship elections.