PDP Governorship Candidate, Adebutu, Drags Malami, IGP, EFCC, DSS, To Court Over Alleged N2bn Vote Buying
The gubernatorial candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party in the 2023 poll in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has sued the Attorney General of the Federation, Abubakar Malami, the Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, the Director of the State Security Services, Yusuf Bichi, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, Abdulrasheed Bawa, over allegations of vote buying levelled against him.
It was learnt that a suit has been instituted against respondents at the Federal High Court, Abuja Division.
According to reports, the Director of Media, Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation, Afolabi Orekoya, called on the police authorities to investigate how the interim report of an uncompleted investigation got leaked.
Meanwhile, Orekoya denied the allegation of his boss being involved in a N2 billion vote-buying, describing the claims as baseless.
This reaction is coming following a report by some online media, claiming that during the governorship election in the state, the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation was involved in vote buying.
Reacting, Orekoya claimed that the allegation was baseless and a desperate attempt by the ruling All Progressives Congress in the state and Governor Dapo Abiodun, to undermine the PDP case at the Tribunal.
It would be recalled that the PDP in the state is currently challenging the victory of Governor Abiodun at the State Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Abeokuta.
Orekoya added that the APC and its candidate had previously tried to coerce, intimidate, and harass Adebutu and his family into withdrawing his petition, but all efforts were in vain.
The statement read, “The unsubstantiated claims that a certain “PDP Chieftain in trouble as police uncover shocking N2 billion vote-buying scheme” by some online news platforms led by Premium Times are nothing but further evidence that Ogun APC and Dapo Abiodun have decided to go for cheap blackmail after realising that our candidate and PDP’s petition before the Tribunal is unequivocally tight.
“This has not come as a surprise to the Ladi Adebutu Campaign Organisation because, after failing in their efforts to coax, intimidate, and harass the PDP Candidate, Hon (Dr) Oladipupo Adebutu, and his family to withdraw the petition despite pleas from their emissaries, delegations, and offer of monetary compensation; the APC and its candidate, at the March 18th governorship election, Mr Dapo Abiodun, have resorted to blackmail, media trial, depravity, and malfeasance in an attempt to buy public sentiment and confuse the Judiciary.
“Members of the public will recall that immediately after the election, Mr Tunde Oladunjoye, the Ogun APC Publicity Secretary, in an attempt to force Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu to drop the petition against his party (APC), claimed on a Channels TV show that one of the many humanitarian gestures of the Adebutu family was for other purposes and intent.
“For clarity’s sake, the fact of the burial of the Adebutu matriarch, Late Dame Caroline Adebutu, on February 11th, 2023, is in the public domain, and it will be unreasonable and unconscionable for anyone under the guise of paid reporting to attempt to twist the details.”
The statement added, “It should be noted by members of the public that this purported “interim report” of an investigation, which the APC also alluded to, which has not been concluded, is being preempted by them. It is, therefore, glaring that the effort of Mr. Abiodun and his party to act as whistleblowers for the police is a deliberate and mischievous attempt to blackmail our principal.
“We hereby call on the police authorities to open an investigation into how “explicit” details of the interim report of an uncompleted investigation were leaked to the press, even though the petition leading to this investigation is laced with political undertones.”
“The PDP and Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu hereby assure the good people of Ogun that every attempt by the APC and its candidate to continue to rubbish the commitments shown by the good people of Ogun State evident through the over 260,000 votes cast for PDP and its gubernatorial candidate in the March 18th elections will be resisted because those votes are clear indicators that Ogun people are determined to change the trajectory of our dear State for good under a prospective Ladi Adebutu led administration.
“The Ogun APC and their social media warlords should note that the Election Petition Tribunal, as constituted, is clear on its mandate, which is to hear all petitions emanating from the 2023 February and March elections. Therefore, any ploy to influence the outcome of the tribunal by circulating incoherent, illogical, and baseless claims like this one will definitely continue to expose APC’s known ridicule.”