Former governor of Ogun State Senator Ibikunle Amosun said on Tuesday that the incumbent Dapo Abiodun should take his accusers to court, noting that he was not behind negative reports about Abiodun.
Amosun’s comment followed allegations by Abiodun that the former was plotting to malign his reputation through sponsored advertorials in newspapers and on social media.
A mugshot alleged to be Abiodun, when he was 26, has since been circulated on social media. The campaigners say he was involved in crime in the US.
According to them, Abiodun violently resisted a police officer and a Secret Service agent as they tried to execute an outstanding warrant for his arrest. They further said the warrant was issued after Abiodun failed to appear in court for a previously instituted case of credit card fraud.
In a statement sent by his media aides, Abiodun said he traced the campaign to Amosun.
“Recently, Amosun’s loyalists have been coming up with malicious, unfounded, and totally false allegations to incriminate the governor and present him as one who is ineligible to contest the high office he’s occupying.
“It has been observed that the cell which also masterminded the exit of a former Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, has been activated to conjure and spread damaging and wicked rumours to sully the sterling qualities of Governor Dapo Abiodun because of his re-election aspiration,” the statement said.
Reacting to the allegations, Amosun’s media office said in a statement, “For the record, Sen. Amosun is not involved, directly or indirectly, in any campaign against Governor Abiodun or any person for that matter.
“Sen Amosun implores Governor Abiodun to employ every legal means to bring whoever is involved in any such campaign against him, as alleged, to book.”