We won’t allow disrespect of deputy governor in our domain–Ogun representative yells

By Hannah Nathan, Warri

Tunji Akinosi, a member of the National Assembly who represents the Ado-Odo Ota Federal Constituency, has declared that he will not stand by and let others treat the deputy governor of Ogun State disrespectfully.

Akinosi was responding to a widely shared video that purportedly showed him abusing a police officer in the state’s Ota region.

According to reports, the event happened over the weekend in Ota, during the 2023 Iganmode Day celebration.

Among the celebrities present at the cultural event were Akinosi, Solomon Olamilekan Adeola (Yayi), Senator representing Ogun West, Governor Dapo Abiodun, and his deputy, Noimot Salako-Oyedele.

But in a video that has gone viral, the federal legislator engaged in combat with M Yusuf, a police officer who is allegedly an operator of Senator Olamilekan Adeola, who represents the Ogun West senatorial constituency.

Akinosi added that the policeman “actually disrespected the Deputy Governor when he disrespectfully asked who was the Deputy Governor?” in response to questions about the alleged attack on Tuesday.

Akinosi characterized the video in circulation as phony and truncated to fit the narrative of people he referred to as political opponents in a statement released by his media assistant, Joel Okeodebija.

The statement reads “Fake news merchants are at work again. Sadly, this time, their victim is Honourable Tunji Akinosi, a Federal Lawmaker from Ogun State who has been in the spotlight over an alleged assault involving a Policeman during the just concluded Iganmode Day celebration held over the weekend in the Ado-Odo Ota Local Government Area of Ogun State.

“According to the fake news circulating and gaining traction on social media, the Lawmaker was alleged to have ‘punched’ a Policeman attached to the Deputy Governor of Ogun State while trying to clear the pathway for her during the event.

“This account of the event is not only untrue but a cheap attempt by Honorable Akinosi’s political opponents to drag his reputation in the mud. The disrespectful policeman was attached to Senator Yayi and not the deputy governor.

“Setting the record straight, Honorable Akinosi only pushed the so-called overzealous officer, one M. Yusuf who was not only rude but also displayed a high sense of irresponsibility at the event.

“Officer M. Yusuf, who allegedly doubles as the commander of Senator Solomon Adeola, aka Yayi’s security team, actually disrespected the Deputy Governor when he disrespectfully asked who was the Deputy Governor?

“The officer’s disrespectful conduct angered the youths at the event. The unruly officer had earlier assaulted the Deputy Governor’s aide, Kola Salako, and others in the Deputy Governor’s train, all in the name of doing his job.

“Honorable Akinosi’s interaction with the officer was meant to be a reconciliatory effort but the officer’s rudeness and derogatory statement and threat to deal with him when he was trying to call the policeman to order. That was exactly what transpired.

“The alleged assault is just another attempt to change the narrative and bring Honorable Akinosi to disrepute ahead of the next political game in Ogun State that’s already playing out behind the scenes.

“It’s becoming pretty alarming how all manners of unknown platforms and people claiming to be journalists put out unverified news items just to drag people’s reputations in the mud.”

Efforts to speak with the PRO of the Ogun state police command, Omolola Odutola, were unsuccessful as she neither responded to text messages of enquiry on the matter nor picked her calls.