The Chairman of Peoples Democratic Party in Irepo Local Government, Mr Hassan Odejide has reacted to a purported interview made by the embattled Council Chairman of Irepo Local Government, Hon. Lateef Adediran Santana that the deputy governor of Oyo state, Barrister Abdul-Raheem Adebayo Lawal and other PDP chieftains in the local government allegedly pocketed a whooping sum of N15.1m meant for governorship election.
Santana, who also alleged that the deputy governor and other PDP leaders received N1.25 million and did not use it for the election, claimed that the money was distributed three days after the election.
He further claimed that despite the deputy governor, Amodu, Ijabah, and Ogede collecting N15,150,000 for the election, he wasn’t given a penny nor been carried along with appointment of party agents for the first and second poll.
The embattled council boss’s allegations comes hours after angry youth and Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, leaders locked the council secretariat and chased away staff and security guards on duty over his anti-party activities and others on Monday.
The protesters who demanded the resignation of Santana, 10 councillors as well as local government appointees with immediate effect for working against the candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party in both elections, were equally seen wielding placards with inscriptions such as “Santana Must Go,” “The Council Must Be Dissolved Immediately,” “You Have All Betrayed Our Trust,” “You Voted For APC,” “You Are Disrespecting The Deputy Governor,” and “We No Longer Have Confidence In Santana-Led Council,” among others.
Reacting to the allegations, the party chairman described Santana as a serial liar who lacks even the slightest sense of moral rectitude.
He also said it was tragic that a council chairman would engage in such blatant hypocrisy in order to defend himself.
Odejide said: “Is Santana also querying how Ijabah lost despite opposing him in the election on February 25th and displaying his ballot paper he used to vote for Muhammoda of the APC? Will he claim that his Secretary was not also seen celebrating with APC brooms while being captured on camera? Why is he trying to be a committed party man when his involvement in both elections was for the APC?
“The PDP youth and leaders in Irepo local government have not forgotten Santana’s dishonest and undemocratic attempt to undermine the party and the chances of Governor Makinde in Irepo, who made him the council chairman.
“Since he is already seen as a forbidden fruit by angry people who are so dedicated to the success of the PDP in Irepo, we would normally have just ignored his manufactured lies and thrown him in the trash where he belongs, but the simple act of bringing up the name of the Deputy Governor has prompted calls for clarification and to inform unwary residents of Oyo state, especially Kishians, not to fall for his tricks and blatant hypocrisy.
“As a matter of fact, the deputy governor added additional whopping sum to the fifteen million naira that Santana is musing all around and so also Hon. Kazeem Olayanju from Olorunsogo who was seeking a re-election.
“On the 16 of March, the sum of Fifteen Million One hundred and Fifty thousand was realesed to the stakeholders which comprises myself, Alh J.S AMODU, Alh Ibrahim Tijani, Alh Nasiru Ayinde and his personal self (Santana).
“The stakeholders met on how to disbursed the fund as all calls to Santana to attend the meeting for the disbursement went unanswered on Friday. It is therefore shocking that Santana and a few of his Councilors and political appointees would claimed that they were not invited for the meeting.
“The money was disbursed according to the template attached to the funds from Ibadan. And for the avoidance of doubt, all Ward chairmen and party stakeholders can be contacted to verify this claim made by me.
“In fact, I reliably confirmed from Hon. Mutalib Adewale of Ward 3, unit 4, that Sanusi Fatai, a councilor representing Ward 3, not only voted against PDP, but also mobilized electorates to do likewise which he couldn’t not denied when confronted on the day of election.
“Hence, my humble advice to Santana is that he should resign honorably and ask God for forgiveness for how he actively advocated against the party rather than making up lies and acting suspiciously and hypocritically.”
