FG charges popular Ogun politician, Oladipupo Adebutu, for alleged vote buying during 2023 elections

The Federal Government of Nigeria has charged the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State during the 2023 elections, Oladipupo Adebutu, to court 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 in Abeokuta, nine other persons, identified as, Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Sanni Adejoke, Dare Ogunleye, Dare Adeoye, Dayo Fashina, Wasiu Enololobo, and Malik Akawo, who were associated with the PDP were also charged.

In a separate suit it filed at the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, the government also charged Zenith Bank, its Managing Director, Ebenezer Onyeagwu, and the head of card services at the bank, Celestina Appeal, for allegedly aiding Mr Adebutu to commit the alleged offence.

The two suits were filed on Thursday, June 2, 2023, by the Director, 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.

According to the notice filed by the prosecution, Mr Adebutu and four of the other defendants are currently at large.

In the suit before the Ogun State High Court, the federal government charged Mr Adebutu and the fifth defendant, Adejoke Sanni, with three counts of alleged crim#nalconspiracy, brib£ry and undue influence, while the eight others were charged only with the first two counts.