13th June, 2023
A group, the Ogun Integrity Vanguard (OIV) has asked Oladipupo Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in March 18 governorship election to present himself for trial over his indictment in N2 billion vote buying scandal.
A police report had indicated how Adebutu allegedly distributed prepaid cards with values of N10,000 and N20,00 inscribed inscribed with ‘Dame Caroline Oladuni Adebutu Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged’ to voters during the governorship and State Assembly elections in Ogun State.
However, OIV in a statement by its secretary, Duro Thomas, in Abeokuta, on Monday, noted that Adebutu has been trying to avoid trial over his indictment in the vote buying scandal by writing frivolous petitions to the police.
The group noted that after the Federal Government charged them to court over vote buying, Adebutu and some PDP members are writing petitions to Inspector General of Police (IGP), Usman Baba, asking him to investigate Governor Dapo Abiodun and All Progressives Congress (APC) for vote buying.
Thomas said: “The charges, which were filed by Director of Public Prosecutions, M.B Abubakar; Assistant Chief State Counsel, Aderonke Imana and Senior State Counsel, Bagudu Sani, on behalf of Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, detailed how Adebutu and others did conspire 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’ to induce voters to endeavour the return of PDP candidates during the governorship and State Assembly elections in Ogun State.
“Adebutu was further accused of providing 200,000 prepaid verve cards loaded with N10,000 each and inscribed with the same name “for the purpose of corruptly influencing voters to vote for PDP candidates”.
“Given these facts, it is laughable these people are trying to push a counter narrative. When did they realise APC loaded cards to buy votes? There is nothing like that in the petition they filed.”
The group said when PDP candidate took Governor Abiodun to Ogun Election Petitions Tribunal over outcome of March 18 polls, he never pleaded vote buying by Abiodun and APC as a ground of appeal.