A federal lawmaker, and Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Rural Development, Honourable Oladipupo Adebutu narrowly escaped assassination in Ota on Wednesday night as some hoodlums believed to be sponsored by political opponents attacked his convoy in the Okeede area of the ancient town, near the Olota’s palace, killing one of his supporters.
Adebutu, who was returning from the Ogun West senatorial district meeting of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Aiyetoro was said to have branched in Ota to pay a solidarity visit to some party members who had been arrested based on complaint by a rival faction of the party, led by one Prince Segun Seriki on Tuesday.
According to eyewitness account, Adebutu had barely left when gunshots erupted sending the whole populace scampering for safety.
The crisis in the political party, sources hinted, started last Tuesday when Prince Segun Seriki visited the Oju Ore area of Ota to declare his governorship ambition for the 2019 general elections. Some of the party members who are supporters of another aspirant (Gboyega Nasir Isiaka) allegedly opposed Seriki’s declaration in Ogun West Senatorial District. The ensuing commotion resulted in the arrest and subsequent arraignment of the party men in the court.
Close sources however revealed that Adebutu came to the rescue of those arrested by providing them free legal services to secure their bails as members of same party.
This was said not to have gone down well in some political circles in the state and some suggested this could have been responsible for the ambush of Wednesday evening.
Meanwhile, other sources revealed that several leaders of the ruling All Progressive Congress (APC) were also around in Ota at the time of the incident, including a member of the Ogun State House of Assembly representing Ota State constituency.
The crises has however been turned to a feast for political struggle and relevance as accusing fingers are being pointed in various directions, trying to implicate one another in the death of the unfortunate young man who reportedly was on the entourage of Adebutu all the way from the Aiyetoro venue of the Senatorial district meeting.
