My purported arrest was the imagination of "bad belle people" - Oginni

By Editor

The Ogun State Chairman of New Nigeria People’s Party, Comrade Sunday Oginni has described his purported arrest by the men of Nigeria Police Force as fake and untrue. 

Oginni, who admitted he was invited to the police headquarters in Abuja for clarifications over some allegations by aggrieved members of the party, however, denied being arrested or detained as widely circulated. 

There were reports at some sections of the media on Wednesday that the police had arrested the Ogun NNPP chairman over allegations bothering on financial misappropriation, fraud, money laundering and financing terrorism in some parts of the country. 

But Oginni while reacting insisted that the purported arrest was the imagination of those he described as "bad belle trying to destroy Ogun NNPP because they could not get the party's structure.”

He explained that he was only invited for clarifications over an "allegations by those that lost the battle in getting him expelled from the party.”

He described the allegations as baseless, stressing that the party will not tolerate any attempt by anybody to stampede the process of the rule of law. 

While commending the police for being thorough and professional in their investigation, the Ogun NNPP chairman said the party will not be deterred in getting justice despite the distractions. 

He added, "The Nigeria Police had kept up to expectations and renewed hope for all Nigerians that we have a Police force that nobody no matter how highly place can use their operatives to intimidate anybody.

"The invitation of the Nigerian Police was to clarify things on the baseless allegations accused by enemy of progress.

"I am assuring everybody that Nigeria Police is for everybody and we need to cooperate with them.

"Having said that, every insinuation of the evil doers and their efforts to escape justice would never happened. 

"NNPP in Ogun State is having three substituting court cases that is running and any attempt by anybody to stampede the process of the rule of law will never be tolerated. 

"This is a democratic society; this is a constitutional democracy where everybody must stand under the rule of law.

"Whatever any insinuation or any allegation is just the imagination of these evil doers who are wishing themselves all these baseless and irrelevant thinking of getting themselves into problem.” 

Oginni insisted he remain the chairman of the party in the face of the law. 

He further said, "As far as we are concern, we are resolute, we are focus, we have a very vibrant political party. 

"NNPP in Ogun State is due to our sweat and we are ready to stand by it.

"So, all the decision that I made as chairman of the party, I stand by it and I am saying that at the face of law, I remain the Chairman of Ogun NNPP and I can never be intimidated, I can never be threatened by anybody.

"The law is on our side, God is involved in this project and you know we have never lost any battle and we will not lose this battle.” 

The Ogun NNPP has been engulfed in crisis following a fallout between Oginni and the governorship candidate over the ownership of a petition filed by the party before the State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal. 

Oginni had filed a petition before the Tribunal, challenging the victory of Governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) at the March 18 election.

The party in the election petition with suit number; EPT/OG/GOV/01/2023 dragged the Independent National Electoral Commission, Governor Abiodun, and his party, APC before the Tribunal over an alleged omission of the NNPP’s name on the ballot papers used for the governorship and assembly elections held in the state. 

But, Oguntoyinbo who wanted to take control of the petition filed an application to change the counsel of the party. 

The tribunal, however, rejected the appeal, insisting that Oginni remains the owner of the petition. 

The court while dismissing the petition based on Oginni’s request also unanimously affirmed the Ogun NNPP Chairman as the original owner of the petition filed by the party. 

The NNPP governorship candidate in an attempt to get hold of the party’s affairs reportedly made a move by allegedly conniving with the National Working Committee to announce Oginni’s expulsion from the party. 

While Oginni was relying on a court order restricting the party from expelling him, the founder described the purported expulsion as unconstitutional and illegal. 

Aniebonam while insisting he was not aware of the expulsion, noted that the action of the party's working committee does not have his blessings. 

The NNPP Founder stressed that the party's NWC did not follow due process and procedures in the expulsion of Oginni as Ogun chairman. 

Aniebonam explained that the national convention of the party has the final authority to expel a member, stressing that it is beyond the NWC to publicly announce Oginni's expulsion without due process.