Obasanjo harassing us with police — Ogun PDP Exco

The newly recognised executive of the crisis-ridden Peoples Democratic Party in Ogun State on Saturday accused former president Olusegun Obasanjo of harassing its leader with the police. The Chairman of the Ogun PDP, Mr. Bayo Dayo, in an interview with our correspondent alleged that the police in the state and Abuja had been harassing him and other members of his exco allegedly at Obasanjo’s prompting and instruction.
Dayo alleged that the police had made it virtually impossible for the exco to function.
Loyalists of former president Olusegun Obasanjo were recently removed from the national and state offices they occupied by the PDP National Working Committee.
Among those sacked were the National Auditor, Mr. Bode Mustapha, and the National Vice-Chairman, Mr. Segun Oni. Mustapha was replaced with Mr. Fatai Adeyanju.
The PDP NWC also sacked the Obasanjo-backed executive of the party in the state led by Senator Oladipo Odujinrin.
Dayo claimed that since the PDP NWC sacked Obasanjo’s men, the former president had been using the police to harass the newly recognised Ogun PDP exco.
He said, “Ex-president Obasanjo is chasing the exco about with the police. He wants all of us arrested. I don’t know for whatever reason. We have not done anything wrong. That’s just the case. We are still trying to sort things out and when that is done we’ll give you the details.
“The police are chasing us about, telling us to come to Abeokuta and Abuja; that they have heard about one thing or the other. But since we have not done anything illegal, I’m not scared. That’s the situation.”
Asked how far the party had gone in placating Obasanjo concerning the crisis in the state PDP, the chairman said, “Well, I’m trying my best. It’s may be that my best is not good enough for him (Obasanjo).”
But in a swift reaction, Obasanjo’s Media Assistant, Vitalis Ortese, said the Dayo-led Ogun PDP exco was only crying wolf where none existed.
He   said, “Is Baba (Obasanjo) the inspector general? Baba is not the IG, neither is he the commissioner of police. How has he been harassing them with police when he’s neither the IG nor the commissioner of police? Or do the police take instructions from him now? No, that cannot be.
“Baba does not harass anybody with the police. The police have their line of command and authorities. That is very clear and obvious. That is funny. There is nothing like that.”
Dayo however, said he would lead the other exco members and party supporters into the secretariat on Monday or Tuesday.
Dayo added that the exco would before Monday meet the police in the state to finalise arrangements for the reopening of the party secretariat as directed by the party national headquarters.
When contacted, the state Commissioner of Police, Mr. Okoye Ikemefuna, denied the allegation, saying, “I stand for justice. It is false, it is not true.”
The Force Public Relations Officer, Mr. Frank Mba, told our correspondent to send him text message on the matter.
But when he was called after our correspondent had sent the SMS, he said, “I’m at an event, we are having police game.”
The party state secretariat located along IBB Presidential Boulevard, Abeokuta was shut and taken over by the police last December following the heightening of the crisis between Obasanjo’s faction and the Dayo-led state exco backed by party financier, Buruji Kashamu.