Ogun State governor, Dapo Abiodun, MFR, says his alleged criminal records in the United States are not enough basis to disqualify him from seeking re-election for a second term as governor of the gateway state.
According to a petition, submitted by a member of the All Progressives Congress in the state, Ayodele Oludiran to the National Chairman of the APC, Senator Abdulahi Adamu, on April 12, 2022, Abiodun was arrested and detained in the United States over credit card fraud and forgery in 1986.
In the petition, Abiodun was accused of concealing criminal offences he allegedly committed while in the US.
It further alleged that the governor, whose jail number was 8600B9436, had filed an application for a redaction of his criminal records in Miami Dade, Florida.
Redaction is the process of removing words or information from a document before it is printed or made available to the public.
Responding Gov. Abiodun, represented by the law firm of Afe Babalola and co, insisted that APC as a political party lacked the power to disqualify him, stressing that only a competent court of law could do so had the statutes of limitations for such matters not passed.
“An aspirant or candidate will only be disqualified by the court if the false information he gives relates to a constitutional requirement of eligibility. APC is not a court of law. Accordingly, it cannot disqualify our client,” the governor’s lawyer wrote Abdulahi Adamu, APC chairman, citing section 29(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Even if he was convicted in 1986, the governor’s legal counsel asserted that the Nigerian constitution only disqualifies ex-felons from contesting political offices if their sentence was less than 10 years before the election date.
“In any event, assuming but not conceding that our client was even convicted in 1986, he would still not be affected or caught by Section 182 (1) (e) of the CFRN because the CFRN requires that the conviction which would disqualify a person from the position of the governor must have occurred ten years before the date of election to the office,” the law firm wrote.
Reacting, Oluwatobi Sofela, leader of the Ogun Bibire Unity Forum, on whose behalf the petition was submitted stated that the chance of the APC retaining the governorship seat in the state would be in jeopardy if the governor refused to defend the allegations.
He also called Abiodun’s attention to alleged irregularities in the educational qualifications he submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission.
Sofela asked, “Is it correct that while filling the columns for his educational qualifications in the INEC Form CF001 for the office of Governor of Ogun State in 2019, under ‘Primary School Attended,’ Abiodun recorded and claimed that he attended International Primary School Ayetoro in 1971, while in his 2015 INEC Form CF001 while vying to represent Ogun East at the Senate, he recorded and claimed to have attended another primary school, Comprehensive High School, Ayetoro, in the same 1971?
“Did he graduate from the University of Ife in 1986? Did he obtain ‘BBA (Hons) Accounting’ at the Kennesaw State Universities in 1989? Was he jailed in 1986 for credit card fraud in Miami Dade, Florida, USA? Did he use a pseudonym (Shawn Michael Davids) with the aim of concealing his criminal identity? Was he jailed for committing criminal offences which bordered on credit card fraud, petty theft, and cheque forgery?
“Was he arrested on November 7, 1986, for fighting and injuring a police officer in an attempt to resist arrest? Is it true that his jail number was 8600B9436? Did he apply for the redaction of his criminal records in Miami Dade, Florida? Was the redaction granted in August 2015?”
He said the educational records presented by the governor could have him disqualified, as enshrined in Section 182 (1) (j) of the 1999 Constitution as amended.
This is as he warned that opposition parties will take advantage of the situation and test Abiodun’s eligibility to stand for elections.
“More so, no one could attend two different primary schools and finish both at the same time as presented by Governor Abiodun in his INEC forms. Our fear for our great party in the forthcoming elections is that since the report of Governor Abiodun’s questionable primary school claims are in the public domain already, the opposition parties shall test his eligibility to stand for elections within the stipulated 14 days cause of action (pre-election matters) as provided for in the Constitution and Electoral Act 2022 (as amended).
“If action is not taken, the chances of our great party, the APC, retaining the governorship seat in Ogun State shall be in jeopardy as previously seen in Bayelsa and Zamfara States,” Sofela warned.
