Ladi Adebutu, the People’s Democratic Party candidate for governor of Ogun State in 2023, was charged by the Federal Government on Monday in absentia with alleged vote-buying.
Adebutu was accompanied by five other people as they appeared before the Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta.
According to information obtained by our correspondent, Yemi Sanusi, the APC’s Ogun State Chairman, petitioned the Inspector General of Police regarding the allegation.
According to reports, the State Criminal Investigations Department Eleweran, Abeokuta, looked into the allegation.
Adebutu was being prosecuted on a four-count charge, including one count of criminal conspiracy contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, bribery contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, and solicitation contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022, according to the charge sheet of the case with no AB/10C/2003 filed at the high court and dated June 2, 2023. Other defendants included Messrs. O
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Adebutu and the co-accused “conspired among yourselves to corruptly give gifts in form of verve prepaid cards with inscribed on them ‘Dame Caroline Oladuni Adebutu Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged’ on or about March 18, at Ibara, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court, to induce voters to attempt the return of PDP candidates during the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections,” according to the specifics of the offense
200,000 prepaid verve cards loaded with N10,000 each and bearing the same name were provided by Adebutu, it was further alleged, “for the purpose of corruptly influencing voters to vote for PDP candidates” during the aforementioned elections.
Adebutu was not present at the Monday proceeding, but the other five defendants—Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyi Waleed, Egunsola Owolabi, Sanni Adejoke, and Malik—were.
They all entered not guilty pleas to each of the four charges, and their attorney Muyiwa Obanewa then urged the court to release the defendants on bail.
The accused were then granted bail in the amount of N100,000 with one surety per accused person, who must be a bondsman or a relative of the defendants and present proof of tax payment, according to Justice Abiodun Akinyemi.
The case was postponed by the court until September 26, 2023, for a scheduled hearing.
