Ogun East Youths for Good Governance have decried the arrest and detention of the Deputy Speaker, Ogun State House of Assembly, Hon. Oludare Kadiri, by the Police, describing it as a desperate attempt to malign the person of the popular politician and lawmaker in Ijebu North.
The group in a statement made available to newsmen, also dismissed Kadiri’s arrest and detention at the Criminal Investigation Department of the Ogun State Police Command Headquarters, Eleweran, Abeokuta, as “undue and unwarranted political victimization” from deperate quarters which will limit chances of All Progressive Congress in the forthcoming elections.
The statement jointly signed by the group’s President and Secretary, Samuel Adekoya and Adetola Sopeju, respectively, stated that the Deputy Speaker, noted that Hon.Oludare Kadiri has adequately represent his constituents since his election in 2015.
The group further described him as a committed, dedicated, dynamic, focused and purpose-driven lawmaker.
“He has defended the interests of youths, women and the generality of his people and never wavered in positively projecting the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) within and beyond his constituency.”
“We are, however, surprised that a distinguished party man who has risked everything to help bring the current administration on board is now subjected to ridicule and opprobrium”, the group said.
They also noted that the “explanation” by the state police command through its Public Relations Officer, Abimbola Oyeyemi, amounts to “reinforcing falsehood” against Kadiri.
According to them, “a viral video of the incident which is making the rounds has cleared the air and shown that Hon. Oludare Kadiri only came for peaceful intervention.
“He never assaulted anyone. If the viral video is critically assessed, one will discover that Hon. Oludare Kadiri came to the scene after Hon. Yinusa had been beaten by some members of the community.
“One will realise that the video was shot at the behest of the Deputy Speaker. He only instructed one of the boys around to take pictures and record the scene for proof, and not what detractors mischievously changed it to that Maba sent thugs to beat up Hon. Yinusa.
“From our independent findings, some aggrieved members of the community had beaten Hon. Yinusa before Maba came into the scene. How can people now shamelessly turn the table against a lawmaker who had been supporting and defending his constituents?
“We want to appeal to well-meaning members of the public to discountenance the spurious claims that the Deputy Speaker was arrested and detained for assault. His ordeal was clearly orchestrated and designed by internal forces bent on tarnishing his image.
“We reject the despicable and ignoble attempts to drag the name of Hon. Oludare Kadiri in the mud.
“The Deputy Speaker needs to be encouraged and supported for his yeoman’s job in bringing more dividends of democracy to the downtrodden and generality of his constituents.
“Silencing and intimidating him would do no good at this point in time.”