The All Progressives Congress chapter in Ogun State has welcomed Oladipupo Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party’s candidate for governor in 2023, back to the nation.
Adebutu was back in the United Kingdom for almost seven months.
He was ordered to give himself up to the authorities and defend himself against the Federal Government’s preferred claims of vote-buying and money-laundering by the Ogun APC.
In a statement released on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, the APC made the demand through Olusola Blessed, its assistant publicity secretary.
In a letter dated April 16, 2023, and signed by Muhammad Babakura, a Deputy Commissioner of Police, the Criminal Investigation Department of the police in Abeokuta invited the PDP candidate to respond to a case of conspiracy, electoral offences, and money laundering received from the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution of the Federation. The ruling party claimed that the candidate had left the country “in suspicious circumstances.”
The party continued by pleading with Adebutu to follow the right way and report to the authorities.
“We welcome Adebutu back to his fatherland if it is true that he has been away from the long arm of the law since April of this year under the pretext of a medical vacation,” the party declared.
Additionally, we implore him to surrender to law enforcement and refute the accusations of vote-buying and money laundering made against him in the March 18, 2023, gubernatorial and House of Assembly elections, for which a few of his party’s members and agents have already been charged.
The statement recalled that on December 9, 2023, the Ogun State PDP disclosed the identities of its members—Ogunbona Hammed, Tiramisu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Moliki Badmus, and Sanni Adejoke—who were accused of purchasing votes by the federal government.
The suspects, according to PDP, 𝘸𝘦𝘳𝘦 𝘢𝘳𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘣𝘺 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘰𝘱𝘦𝘳𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘕𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯𝘢𝘭 𝘋𝘳𝘶𝘨 𝘓𝘢𝘸 𝘌𝘯𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘤𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘈𝘨𝘦ncy 𝘪𝘯 various locations around the state during 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘤𝘩 18 2023 g𝘰𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘯𝘰𝘳𝘴𝘩𝘪𝘱 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘏𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘦 𝘰𝘧 𝘈𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘭𝘺’𝘴 𝘦𝘭𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯s, following which ATM cards allegedly meant for vote buying were found on them, adding that Adebutu’s name featured prominently in the police investigation and the subsequent charges by the Federal Government against the suspects.
According to the statement, “He should have the honour to turn himself in to the police, as promised by his lawyers in the letter dated May 2, 2023.”
“He should also keep his court date and let the Federal Government to serve him with the court documents regarding the vote-buying and money-laundering allegations.
“Perhaps Adebutu would have shown up to be served with court documents and tried with others at the subsequent hearing.
“In February 2024, the PDP members who have already been charged with vote-buying and money laundering will continue their trial before Honourable Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta.”
