The Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, GEPT, sitting in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital on Wednesday struck out the petition of the Action Alliance, AA, against the All Progressives Congress, APC, and Governor Dapo Abiodun.
The tribunal struck out the petition, following applications by AA to withdraw it petition against the declaration of Governor Abiodun as the winner of the March 18 governorship election in the state.
With the dismissal of the AA petition on Wednesday, the only petition remaining before the tribunal now is that of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP.
Meanwhile, in a new twist to the election saga, the Federal Government has dragged the PDP and its governorship candidate, Hon. Ladi Adebutu, before a Federal High Court, following their alleged role in facilitating vote buying.
Adebutu, the PDP, Zenith Bank Plc and its Managing Director, Dr Ebenezer Onyeagwu, were dragged before the court for conspiracy, bribery and money laundering.
The charge sheet of the case, with no AB/10C/2003, filed at the Federal High Court, Abeokuta Division and dated June 2, 2023, Adebutu, along with Messers Ogunbona Hammed, Tiamiyu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Sanni Adegoke, Hon Dare Lukman Ogunleye, Dayo Fasina, Wasiu Enilolobo and Malik Badmus, is being prosecuted by the Federal Government on a four-count charge, namely: one count of criminal conspiracy, contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022; bribery, contrary to Section 121 of the Electoral Act, 2022; and two-count of undue influence, contrary to section 127 of the Electoral Act, 2022.
The charges were filed by the Director, Public Prosecutions of the Federation, M.B Abubakar; the Assistant Chief State Counsel, Aderonke Imana and Senior State Counsel, Bagudu Sani, on behalf of the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice.
On his part, Onyeagwu, along with one Celestina Appeal and Zenith Bank Plc, was charged with failing to report suspicious transactions on verve cards with the inscription Dame Oladuni Memorial Endorsement Scheme for Less Privileged between February and March 2023 and thereby committing an offence contrary to section 7(1)(a) of the Money Laundering (Prevention and Prohibition) Act 2022; and failing to verify the identity of customers carrying out electronic transactions on verve cards with the inscription Dame Oladuni Memorial Endorsement Scheme For Less Privileged, thereby committing an offence contrary to Section 37 of the Cybercrimes (Prohibition, Prevention, etc) Act 2022.
The particulars of the offence stated that Adebutu and his co-accused “on or about 18th of March, 2023, at Ibara, within the jurisdiction of this honourable court did conspire among yourselves 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’ in order to induce voters to endeavour the return of PDP candidates during the gubernatorial 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” during the said elections.
Recall that Adebutu had recently left the country, following security agencies’ uncovering of a vote buying plot linked to him during the March 18 polls in Ogun State and the invitation extended to him to clarify issues.
The PDP candidate had however alleged that he left the country following threats to his life.
