FG Finally Arraigns Powerful PDP Governorship Candidate, Details Emerge of What Happened in Court on Monday
- The federal government of Nigeria has arraigned the Ogun state governorship candidate on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Ladi Adebutu
- Adebutu and nine others were arraigned before an Ogun state high court for alleged vote buying
- The 61-year-old PDP chieftain, who was charged in absentia, left the country in April this year
Abeokuta, Ogun state - The federal government, on Monday, July 10, arraigned Ladi Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) governorship candidate in Ogun state in the 2023 elections, over alleged vote buying.
Adebutu, who was charged in absentia had been on the run, The Cable said.
Source: Facebook
FG arraigns Adebutu, 9 others for vote buying
He has been out of the country since shortly after the March 18 poll, The Guardian reported.
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Vanguard said Adebutu did not honour police invitation of allegations of electoral malpractices and money laundering over which he has been arraigned.
In the suit, Adebutu and the other defendants are being prosecuted on a four-count charge — criminal conspiracy, bribery, and two counts of undue influence which violates sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act 2022.
When the matter was called on Monday, July 10, Adebutu remained at large while the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th, and 10th defendants – Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyi Waleed, Egunsola Owolabi, Sanni Adejoke and Malik respectively were present.
They pleaded not guilty to all the four counts and their counsel Muyiwa Obanewa subsequently urged the court to grant bail to the defendants, according to Premium Times.
Justice Abiodun Akinyemi subsequently adjourned the case till September 26, 2023, for a definite hearing.
Top PDP politician lands in big trouble as police investigate him over N2bn vote-buying scheme
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that Adebutu landed in trouble after the police uncovered a shocking N2 billion vote-buying scheme. It would be recalled that Adebutu disclosed last week that he fled Nigeria over alleged threats to life.
However, he has now been indicted for money laundering and vote-buying in respect of the 2023 general elections.
Adebutu was the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun state, but he lost to incumbent governor Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in a keenly-contested poll.
Source: Legit.ng
