Reported by: Ijeoma G | Edited by: Gabriel Osa
The Ekiti State Police Command has arraigned the Ekiti State Chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party, Tunji Odeyemi, alongside three other party officials, over allegations bordering on theft, conspiracy, vandalism and unlawful invasion of property connected to the party’s secretariat in Ajilosun, Ado Ekiti.
The four defendants were brought before a Magistrate Court sitting in Ado Ekiti following a dispute over the ownership and control of the PDP state secretariat located in the Ajilosun area of the state capital. Those arraigned with Odeyemi include Chief Makanjuola Ogundipe, Mr. Kole Abiodun, who serves as State Secretary of the party, and Mr. Gani Salau, a media aide to the party’s governorship candidate, Dr. Oluwole Oluyede.
According to accounts provided by party officials, the matter began with an invitation extended by the Rapid Response Squad unit of the state police command, directing the chairman, secretary and a former chairman of the party to report to its office situated along old Iyin Road in Ado Ekiti. Upon arrival, they were reportedly presented with a petition alleging vandalism, conspiracy, theft and unlawful entry into a property said to belong to businessman and politician Ladi Adebutu.
The petition, reportedly authored by legal representatives identified as Barrister Falade and Ariyo Afolabi, was said to claim that the Ajilosun property housing the PDP secretariat belongs to Adebutu, who was the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State during the 2023 general election. The allegation framed the presence and actions of the Ekiti PDP officials at the secretariat as illegal occupation and interference with private property.
Odeyemi and Ogundipe are said to have responded by outlining the party’s claim to the property, asserting that the land was purchased and developed by the PDP in Ekiti State. They reportedly assured investigators that documentary evidence supporting the party’s ownership would be made available as required during legal proceedings.
Police sources confirmed that written statements were obtained from the officials and that officers conducted an on-the-spot inspection of the disputed secretariat. The defendants were subsequently returned to the Rapid Response Squad office, where administrative procedures continued for several hours.
Party leaders later alleged that bail conditions presented to them were unusually stringent. Among the reported requirements was that each of the principal officers produce a Level 16 civil servant in the Ekiti State civil service to stand as surety. According to PDP representatives, the conditions prompted initial consideration of remaining in custody pending formal arraignment, in order to allow a court to determine the ownership dispute.
Following interventions by senior party figures and legal representatives, the bail terms were reportedly reviewed. The four individuals were released later in the evening, with instructions to report back the following day. However, instead of meeting with the Commissioner of Police as anticipated, they were transferred from the police facility to the Magistrate Court for formal arraignment.
At the court session in Ado Ekiti, charges were read to the defendants, centring on alleged theft, conspiracy and unlawful invasion of property. Details of the plea entered were not immediately available at the time of reporting, though legal representatives indicated that bail applications were being processed in accordance with court procedures.
Counsel to the PDP in Ekiti State, Owoseeni Ajayi, criticized the arrest and prosecution, arguing that the matter is fundamentally a civil dispute over property ownership rather than a criminal issue. He maintained that disagreements regarding title to land or buildings should be addressed through civil litigation in a court of competent jurisdiction, rather than through police action and criminal charges.
Ajayi further contended that no definitive proof of ownership had been publicly established by the complainant. In his view, the police intervention risked escalating what he described as an internal or proprietary disagreement into a broader political controversy. He expressed confidence that judicial proceedings would provide clarity on the legal status of the Ajilosun secretariat.
The case has drawn attention within political circles in Ekiti State, where tensions between rival factions have occasionally surfaced over party leadership and control of assets. Observers note that disputes over party secretariats and property are not uncommon in Nigeria’s political landscape, particularly where documentation, trusteeship arrangements or historical transactions are contested.
Legal analysts say the crux of the matter will likely revolve around documentary evidence of purchase, registration of title, and any contractual agreements linking the property to individuals or the party as a corporate entity. Under Nigerian law, ownership disputes typically fall within the jurisdiction of civil courts, unless accompanied by credible evidence of criminal conduct such as fraud or intentional damage.
The police have not issued an extensive public statement detailing the basis for the criminal charges, beyond confirming that a petition was received and that preliminary investigations warranted arraignment. Law enforcement authorities maintain that they are obligated to act on complaints brought before them, subject to prosecutorial review.
For the PDP in Ekiti, the development comes at a sensitive political moment as parties continue internal preparations and positioning ahead of future electoral cycles. Party officials insist that the secretariat in question has served as their operational headquarters and remains central to their administrative activities in the state.
As proceedings continue before the Magistrate Court, attention will focus on how the court addresses both the criminal allegations and any parallel civil claims regarding ownership. The outcome may set a precedent for how similar disputes between political actors and private claimants are handled in the state.
For now, the four defendants remain subject to the court’s directives as legal arguments unfold. The case underscores the complex intersection of property law, political rivalry and law enforcement intervention in Nigeria’s evolving democratic environment.
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