The Federal Government has brought charges against Oladipupo Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 gubernatorial candidate in Ogun State, for alleged money laundering and other offenses.
This development unfolded on Wednesday at the Ogun State High Court in Abeokuta, with the case numbered AB/10c/2023 (FRN Vs Adebutu &Ors).
The former candidate stands accused of criminal inducement during the March 18 election, allegedly orchestrating the distribution of 200,000 preloaded Automated Machine Verve cards worth N10,000 each to voters across the state.
The prosecution asserts that this act was intended to influence the outcome of the election.
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After evading authorities for several months, Adebutu returned to Nigeria in December 2023 and was subsequently charged alongside six others.
Despite pleading not guilty to the seven-count charges, Adebutu’s lead counsel, Chief Gordy Uche, sought bail for him on self-recognizance, emphasizing his voluntary appearance in court.
However, Rotimi Jacobs, the prosecuting counsel, opposed the request for self-recognizance bail, leading to a decision by Justice Abiodun Akinyemi to grant Adebutu bail in the sum of N1 million, with a surety of the same amount, who may be a family member or bondsman.
The case has been adjourned until February 7, 2024, for further proceedings.
