The Ogun State lawmaker at the heart of an oath-taking scandal, Wale Alausa, on Tuesday in Lagos, told journalists he was sorry for taking part in the exercise.
Mr Alausa, whose nude picture while taking the oath has been making media rounds, said the release of the photograph to the public was caused by the state governor, Gbenga Daniel, to force him to join his camp and ‘plunge the state into perpetual bondage.' The National Compass, which first broke the story, is owned by Mr Daniel. Mr Alausa addressed a press conference at the International Press Centre, Ogba in Lagos where he admitted taking the oath. He said he was forced to do so, with the involvement of the Awujale of Ijebuland, Sikiru Adetona and his father, Agboola Alawusa after being pressurised by Mr Daniel.
"Daniel, who released the photograph, was also the master ritualist whose stock in trade was to force political office holders and elective officers to take oath," Mr Alausa said. "When the story about the oath-taking first came out, my first instinct was to hide myself, given the shame and ridicule that the Governor of Ogun State, Otunba Gbenga Daniel, is trying to put my family to". He added that since the publications, "friends, colleagues and people that I don't even know have been calling me all kinds of names with abuses for taking a fetish oath".
According to him, "some even went as far as to say I am a desperate politician who wants to remain in office to enjoy the spoils of politics by all means necessary." The state lawmaker pleaded for understanding, saying "to such people, I say, forgive me, I am sorry. But you also need to understand where I am coming from and why I did what was reported by Mr Gbenga Daniel's newspaper in a manipulative way.
I was used, dumped and abused by the same man that is now trying to pin a label of a fetish oath-taker on me". Culture of oath-taking Mr Alausa, who is part of a group of lawmakers opposed to the governor, also stated that a number of the aides of Mr Daniel,as well as some council bosses in the state, were made to go through the exercise.
The Chief Press Secretary to Mr Daniel, Adegbenro Adebanjo, however, absolved his boss in the exercise. He told journalists that Mr Alausa was ‘merely clutching a straw' and that his boss "will not and will never be involved in such an odious act." Mr Alausa, on his part, said the oath-taking exercise made him abandon his former colleagues who opposed the governor. "I hereby confess I was the one who left the G-15 group to pledge allegiance to the Governor following the untold pressure on my dad," he said. "The oath I took was to the effect that I will not be among those who will impeach him from office. It did not include spying on my colleagues".
He declared that Mr Daniel became furious when his expectation of him was not met. He said he refused to pass to Mr Daniel details of the G-15 meeting and that this led to the release of his naked photograph. The lawmaker, however, maintained that no intimidation, harassment or blackmail of any kind can make him side with the governor in his struggle with the state legislature.
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