Ogun Government Denies Viral Claim of Cabinet Members Prostrating Before Governor Abiodun
The Ogun State Government has dismissed as false and malicious a viral publication alleging that members of the State Executive Council prostrate before Governor Dapo Abiodun whenever he is displeased with them.
In a statement issued by the Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Hon. Kayode Akinmade, the government described the report published by an online blog, Naijamixed, as a fabricated story designed to ridicule the governor and create unnecessary tension in the state.
The government insisted that no commissioner or cabinet member has ever been required to prostrate before Governor Abiodun, describing the allegation as a complete falsehood. It also rejected claims that the Deputy Governor, Engr. Noimot Salako-Oyedele, had ever prostrated before the governor, calling the assertion reckless and irresponsible.
According to the statement, the blog deliberately misrepresented a widely reported incident involving local government chairmen, who voluntarily prostrated before Governor Abiodun while appealing for forgiveness on behalf of the former Chairman of Ijebu East Local Government, Hon. Wale Adedayo, following allegations he made against the state government.
The government stressed that Governor Abiodun neither requested nor encouraged anyone to prostrate before him, noting that the gesture was entirely voluntary and rooted in Yoruba cultural tradition.
It further recalled that the allegations made by Adedayo were investigated by the Ogun State House of Assembly, while the Joint Account and Allocation Committee (JAAC) confirmed that local government allocations were disbursed through the statutory process, with no diversion of funds by the state government.
It added that the state had, on several occasions, supplemented local government finances to support council operations.
The Ogun State Government accused the blog of reviving and distorting an old incident to mislead the public, emphasizing that freedom of expression does not extend to the deliberate publication of falsehoods.
It urged residents to disregard the report and rely on credible sources of information, while calling on security agencies to investigate those behind the publication to prevent attempts to undermine the peace and stability currently enjoyed in the state.
The government reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, accountability and responsible engagement with the media.
