The Federal Government has charged the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, for allegedly buying votes during the 18 March elections in the state.
In a suit brought by the office of the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice before an Ogun State High Court sitting in Abeokuta, nine other persons associated with the PDP were also charged.
In a separate suit it filed at the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, the government also charged two others for allegedly aiding Adebutu to commit the alleged offence.
The two suits were filed on Thursday, 2 June, by the Director of Public Prosecution of the Federation, M. B. Abubakar; Aderonke Imana, an assistant Chief State Counsel, and Sani Bagudu, a Senior Counsel at the Department of Public Prosecution of the Federation, on behalf of the AGF and Minister of Justice.
Others charged alongside Adebutu before the State High Court in Abeokuta are Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, and Sanni Adejoke. Other defendants are Dare Ogunleye, Dare Adeoye, Dayo Fashina, Wasiu Enilolobo, and Malik Akawo.
According to the notice filed by the prosecution, Adebutu and four of the other defendants are currently at large.
In the suit before the Ogun State High Court, the federal government charged Adebutu and the fifth defendant, Adejoke Sanni, with three counts of alleged criminal conspiracy, bribery, and undue influence, while the eight others were charged only with the first two counts.
The prosecution listed eight witnesses it plans to call to prove its case. They include a police officer, three officials of the NDLEA and two points of sale (POS) operators.
