By Daniel Kanu
President Muhammadu Buhari has blocked the Inspector-General of Police (IGP), Ibrahim Idris from inviting the Osun State governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Prince Ademola Adeleke for interrogation on allegations of examination malpractice and cheating.
A presidency source who asked for anonymity said the president took the action because of Saturday’s election where Adeleke is the candidate of the main opposition party. The source said Buhari said he could be invited after the election.
The Police had earlier Wednesday invited Senator Adeleke to appear at its headquarters to answer questions bordering on allegations of Examination Malpractice, Criminal Conspiracy, Impersonation, Breach of Duty, Aiding and Abetting against him.
The Police Public Relations Officer, Ag. DCP Jimoh Moshood, had in a statement summoned Adeleke and four others namely; Mr. Sikiru Adeleke, Aregbesola Mufutau (Principal of Ojo-Aro Community Grammar School, Egbedore LGA, Osun State), Mr. Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo (School Staff responsible for the registration of candidates for NECO), Mr. Dare Olutope (School Teacher who facilitated the commission of the crime) to report to the Special Investigation Panel, Force Headquarters, Abuja immediately for arraignment in court.
Meanwhile, the PDP on Wednesday cautioned the Police to desist from acting the script of the All Progressives Congress (APC) against its governorship candidate in the September 22, Osun State governorship election, Senator Ademola Adeleke.
PDP described the latest twist in the Adeleke Certificate saga as laughable trumped-up charges by the Police, calling it “horrible, nauseating and displeasing.”
The party said “the sudden realisation of allegations that Adeleke was involved in a National Examination Council (NECO) exam malpractice in 2017, as well as his subsequent invitation by the police, barely two days before the governorship election, is a ploy by the APC to distract the PDP candidate and if possible, put him out of circulation before and during the election.”
“While the PDP is in no way against any legitimate effort by any security agency in the discharge of its duties, we totally reject this unrelenting attempt to use trumped up charges to take down our candidate, simply because the APC has realized that he is coasting to victory.
“Perhaps, the police needs to be educated that the West African Examinations Council (WAEC) has already confirmed that Senator Adeleke wrote his WAEC examination in 1981, thus ending the earlier unnecessary controversy about his WAEC status.
“Moreover, this is the same police that have not been able to invite the disgraced erstwhile minister of finance, Kemi Adeosun, who confessed to having a forged NYSC Exemption Certificate or the Special Assistant to the President on Prosecution and Chairman of the Special Investigative Panel for the Recovery of Public Property, Chief Okoi Obono-Obla, whose certificate, WAEC openly told the National Assembly, is fake.
“Moreso, there are several leaders in APC, whose certificates have been questioned and which the Police have not considered it needful to conduct the littlest investigation.
“The PDP calls on the Inspector General of Police to protect the integrity of the Force by immediately calling his officers hounding Senator Adeleke to order.
“The issue of who becomes the governor of Osun State resides with the people of Osun and nothing should be allowed to disrupt the peaceful conduct of the election.”