The Ogun State branch of the All Progressives Congress has welcomed the Peoples Democratic Party’s 2023 governorship candidate, Oladipupo Adebutu, back to the country.
Adebutu went home following a seven-month stay in the United Kingdom.
The Ogun APC ordered him to surrender to authorities and defend himself against the Federal Government’s vote-buying and money-laundering claims.
The APC made the demand in a statement issued on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Olusola Blessed.
The ruling party claimed that the PDP candidate fled the country “under suspicious circumstances” after the Criminal Investigation Department of the police in Abeokuta invited him to respond to a case of conspiracy, electoral offences, and money laundering received from the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution of the Federation in a letter dated April 16, 2023 and signed by Muhammed Babakura, a Deputy Commissioner of Police.
The party then urged Adebutu to follow the right way and report to the police.
The party said,
“If it is indeed true that Adebutu has returned to the country after being away from the long arm of the law since April this year on the pretext of medical vacation, we welcome him back to his fatherland.
“We also urge him to turn himself in to the authorities and defend the allegations of vote-buying and money laundering leveled against him during the 18th March 2023 governorship and House of Assembly elections for which some members/agents of his party have already been charged to court.”
The statement recalled that on December 9, 2023, the Ogun state PDP gave the names of its members who were charged for vote-buying by the Federal Government as Ogunbona Hammed, Tiramisu Waliu, Egunsola Owolabi, Moliki Badmus and Sanni Adejoke.”
The suspects, according to PDP, ncy various locations around the state during 18 2023 g ’ s, following which ATM cards allegedly meant for vote buying were found on them, adding that Adebutu’s name featured prominently in the police investigation and the subsequent charges by the Federal Government against the suspects.
The statement said,
“He should be honourable enough to fulfill the promise of his lawyers to the police in the letter dated May 2, 2023, by turning himself in to the police.
“He should also allow himself to be served the court papers on the vote-buying and money laundering charges by the Federal Government and keep his date in the court of law.
“Hopefully, Adebutu would have made himself available to be served the court papers and tried along with others at the next hearing.
“The trial of the already arraigned members of PDP in the vote-buying and money laundering charges resumes in February 2024 before the Honourable Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta.”
The Media aide to Adebutu, Afolabi Orekoya, could, however, not be reached for a reaction as of the time of filing this report.