Adebutu Arraigned Over Vote-Buying Allegation, Others

On March 18, during the governorship exercise, Ladi Adebutu, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Ogun State, went before an Abeokuta-based Ogun State High Court to face allegations of vote-buying.

Before the presiding judge, Justice Abiodun Akinremi, he was charged with seven counts relating to vote-buying and other offences, in case number AB/10c/2023 (FRN vs. Adebutu & Ors.).

Nevertheless, he has entered not guilty pleas to all accusations levelled against him. Security officers accused Adebutu and others in his party of engaging in criminal inducement during the election.

The PDP candidate was accused of criminally enticing voters in the state on election day by ordering the distribution of 200,000 preloaded ATM verve cards with N10,000 through his bank. The cards were then distributed around the state.

The police eventually took him and six other people into court to press charges.

Without the lead counsel for the defendants, Chief Gordy Uche, raising an objection, prosecution attorney Mr. Rotimi Jacobs had previously removed previously submitted information and replaced it with revised information during his oral submission.

All seven defendants entered not guilty pleas, but chief Gordy Uche, the defendants’ primary attorney, begged the court to let them keep their former bail conditions.

Subsequently, he beseeched the court to release Oladipupo Adebutu, the first defendant, on self-recognizance bond, stating that Adebutu voluntarily appeared before the court.

Although he did not object to the bail prayer per se, prosecution counsel Mr. Rotimi Jacobs disagreed with the self-recognisance clause, which was his main argument against granting bail to the first defendant on self-recognisance.

The first defendant was granted bail in the amount of N1 million by the presiding judge, Justice Abiodun Akinyemi. A surety, who might be a family member or a bondsman, was also granted bail in the same amount. But the hearing on this lawsuit has been postponed until February 7, 2024.