Like a script straight from a home video film, the Police has narrated how it nabbed sitting Senator, Ademola Adeleke, in a planned examination scam, which, curiously, it has brought up 72 hours to his taking part in Osun Governorship elections as the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate.
Adeleke has been asked to make himself available to the Police for charging to court.
But the PDP is crying blue murder. Its spokesman, Mr. Kola Ologbondinyan, has 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.
The PDP describes the latest twist in what it termed the Adeleke Certificate Circus, as laughable trumped-up charges by the Police. The party says it is “horrible, nauseating and displeasing.”
However, the Police told journalists in Abuja that on 21st July 2017, its Osun State Police Intelligence Bureau (SIB) received and acted on an actionable intelligence about an ongoing examination malpractice involving Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke at OJO/Aro Community Grammar School in Osun state.
Police spokesman, Acting Deputy Commissioner Jimoh Moshood, disclosed that when the Police operatives arrived at the school, only Sikiru Adeleke was found seated for the examination while Senator Ademola Adeleke seat was vacant and was suspected to have escaped before the arrival of the Police.
He said further investigation revealed that both Senator Ademola Adeleke and his brother, Sikiru Adeleke, registered and were sitting for the National Examination Council Examination (NECO) 2017 as internal candidates impersonating students of the School at the ages of 57years and 42years respectively.
“This crime was facilitated by the principal of the school, and two other members of staff of the school for which they are under investigation and being charged to court.
“The Principal of the school, Alhaji Aregbesola Mufutau, the staff responsible for registration, Mr Gbadamosi Thomas Ojo and a teacher Mr dare Olutope were arrested on 21 July 2017. Senator Ademola Adeleke was arrested on 27 July 2017 and Sikiru Adeleke was arrested on 8th August 2017.
“Senator Ademola Adeleke made cautionary statement and admitted that he registered for the 2017 NECO examinations as an internal student in the said school but he didn’t sit for the examination.
“However,” the Police added, “… investigation revealed the following prima facie and culpability facts against Senator Ademola Adeleke andfour (4) others.
i. Senator Ademola Adeleke made cautionary statement and admitted that he registered for the 2017 NECO examinations as an internal student in the said school and did not sit for the examination but has a result from NECO with Seven (7) Credit and One (1) Pass, a copy of which was obtained from NECO by the Police.
ii. The Ojo/Aro 2017 NECO, SSCE school photo album (School’s copy), with Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke Photographs in school uniform in the said album. Senator Ademola Adeleke in the NECO 2017 Result obtained by the Police claimed that he was born on 12th June 1997 but in his statement to the Police, Senator Ademola Adeleke wrote 13th May 1960 as his Date of Birth.
iii. The photographs of both Senator Ademola Adeleke and Sikiru Adeleke appearing side by side in the photo album have no NECO stamps on them.
“Senator Ademola Adeleke and four others were arrested, investigated, granted bail and (are) being charged to court. Charges of Examination Malpractice, Criminal Conspiracy, Personation, Breach of Duty, Aiding and Abetting against Senator Ademola Adeleke (PDP Governorship Aspirant in the 22nd September, 2018 Gubernatorial Election in Osun State) and four (4) others namely; MR Sikiru Adeleke, Alhaji 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) have been filed at the Federal High Court, Abuja under the Examination Malpractice Act, CAP E15, 2004 today, Wednesday, 19th September, 2018.”
PDP says 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.
The party adds: “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 Examination 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.
“More so, 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.”