Dapo Abiodun, Governor of Ogun State, lamented alleged betrayal and backstabbing by friends during the state’s recently concluded governorship election on Tuesday.
INEC declared Abiodun the winner of the election on Sunday after he received 276,298 votes, with Ladi Adebutu of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) coming in second with 262,383 votes.
Abiodun was defeated in most of the Local Government Areas in Ogun East Senatorial District, including his LG, Ikenne.
His victory sparked protests and controversy, with his main opponent accusing him of rigging in collusion with electoral officials.
Abiodun returned to his hometown of Iperu-Remo on Tuesday, where he was greeted by residents and party supporters.
Governor Abiodun expressed his gratitude to God and the people for their unwavering support during the election while being received at the town’s garage area.
He said “this election has shown that man will always be man and God will forever remain God. In the course of this election, people we thought were our friends betrayed us, people stabbed us at the back, and many disappointed us.
“I know that even those who called themselves our friends did not vote for us, but that does not matter anymore because the elections have come and gone, and God has given us victory.
“But we should not be surprised because even in the Bible, our Lord Jesus Christ was betrayed despite all the good things that he did. We should be grateful to God because despite all the betrayals and all, God still granted us victory.”
Abiodun explained that the renewal of his mandate was an indication that people valued what the administration had accomplished in less than four years in office, and that “it is a call to work even harder for the people.”