A politically non partisan group, Naija Lives Matter (NLM) has urged Governor Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State to clear his name of all allegations levied against him.
The group founded by Dr. Ope Banwo, made the charge in an open letter to the Governor.
Explaining the motivation behind its action, the organisation stated that it is taking a bold step to federalize citizen accountability as part of its “HoldYourGov” campaign under the Make Nigeria Great Again (MANGA) initiative.
In the letter titled “Naija Lives Matter levels 21 allegations of fraud, crime and mismanagement against Gov. Dapo Abiodun of Ogun State….Demands transparent investigations by EFCC, ICPC, State Assembly and the people of Ogun State”, the group noted that though the allegations being referenced were yet to be confirmed or proven, the weight and number of allegations demand public attention and transparency.
The group also noted that the people of Ogun State deserve answers, hence it is formally and publicly calling on Governor Abiodun to respond accordingly.
“We are simply demanding explanations and transparent investigations after most of them have been in the public space for a while, unaddressed and unresolved by our institutions and Gov. Dapo Abiodun himself who owes the state and the nation explanations.
“Hopefully he will see this as a genuine call to accountability by a responsible organisation that has been around for more than 15 years. We demand transparent investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), the State Assembly and the people of Ogun State into the stewardship of the state by Abiodun.
“For too long, we have been inclined to mostly focus our outrage on Aso Rock while the real architects of our daily direct suffering (our state governors and state and local representatives) operate unchecked in our backyards. That ends now.
“This open letter to Governor Dapo Abiodun demanding transparent investigations into the stewardship of Ogun state unde Governor Dapo Abiodun is not fiction. It is a well-researched, sourced, and unapologetically direct indictment of serious allegations—ranging from certificate forgery, contract inflation, electoral fraud, and financial mismanagement of over ₦200 billion in public funds,” the group noted.
Describing its call for an audit of Governor Abiodun’s stewardship of Ogun State as a moral, civic, and patriotic obligation, NLM noted that the action is not politically motivated.
Banwo, the founder of the group noted that after the 2023 elections, the board of NLM at its executive meeting decided that the group would no longer be aligned with any political party, political personality or political aspirant. He added that the group’s charter now demands independence from partisanship, as it will now only be aligned with what is good for Nigeria, our states and local governments.
He refuted all propositions that the call for accountability by NLM is about the Obidient or the Obidient Movement attacking the governor, adding that the pro-Peter Obi group has nothing to do this this.
