Federal Govt Arraigns PDP Ogun Governorship candidate For Alleged Vote Buying
Candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2023 governorship election in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu, was arraigned on Monday, July 10, over alleged vote buying.
Adebutu was arraigned in absentia by the Federal Government alongside Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Ogunbona Hammed, Sanni Adegoke, Dayo Fasina, Wasiu Enilolobo, Malik Badmus and Dare Lukman Ogunleye.
According to newsmen, Yemi Sanusi, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), petitioned the Inspector General of Police over the accused persons’ alleged involvement in vote buying during the election.
According to the particulars of the offence, Adebutu and the co-accused “on or about 18th of March at Ibara, within the jurisdiction of this Honourable Court did conspire among yourselves to corruptly give gifts in form of verve prepaid cards which had inscribed on them ‘Dame Caroline Oladuni Adebutu Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged’ in order to induce voters to endeavour the return of PDP candidates during the gubernatorial and State Assembly elections in Ogun State”.
Additionally, Adebutu was charged with distributing 200,000 prepaid Verve cards using the same name and loaded with N10,000 each “for the purpose of corruptly influencing voters to vote for PDP candidates” during the elections.
Adebutu did not attend the hearing on Monday, but the other defendant; Hammed, Waleed, Owolabi, Badmus and Adejoke were present.
They all pleaded not guilty to each of the four charges, and their lawyer, Muyiwa Obanewa, then petitioned 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 had to be a bondsman or a member of the defendants’ family and have documentation of tax payment.
The court adjourned the matter for hearing on September 26, 2023.
