In relation to the charge of vote buying through preloaded ATM cards leveled against Hon. Oladipupo Adebutu, a representative of Zenith Bank, Mrs. Celestina Appeal, who serves as the bank’s Head of Card Services, was subpoenaed and called as a witness on Monday before the governorship election petition tribunal meeting in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State.
Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, the governor’s attorney, previously informed the panel that two letters were sent to Zenith Bank in February asking for clarification on how Adebutu opened a special account for the purpose of his action with the bank and the request he made for the issuance of 200,000 preloaded ATM cards loaded with N10,000 each, a few days prior to the March 18 gubernatorial election.
The witness began presenting her evidence by submitting a certified true copy of a letter that Oladipupo Adebutu wrote to Zenith Bank on February 27, 2023, two days after the presidential election that the PDP lost. In the letter, Adebutu requested that an account be opened in order to produce 200,000 ATM verve cards that each contained N10,000 and totaled 2 billion naira.
She also provided a second certified true copy of a letter that Adebutu had written on the same day, February 27, 2023, and addressed to the bank, asking for the issuance of the 200, 000 ATM verve cards.
She also submitted a Certificate of Compliance, a statement of the account formed in Oladipupo Adebutu’s name that shows the account’s inflow and outflow from February to May 2023, as well as records of the delivery and collection of the prepaid ATM cards to Adebutu.
The distribution of the preloaded ATM cards by PDP members on election day was confirmed by the second and third witnesses who testified before the panel, Mr. Odesanya Olalekan, an artisan from Ijebu North East, and Adeosun Waheed, a businessman from Abeokuta North.
Under cross-examination from counsels for the All Progressives Congress, APC, Chief Afolabi Fashanu, SAN, and Otunba Kunle Kalejaiye, SAN, respectively, the third witness, Waheed, confirmed that Adebutu, also known as Baba Ijebu, distributed the preloaded ATM cards. She also noted that the cards had the inscription of Mrs. Caroline Adebutu, the mother of the PDP candidate.
The witness stated during subsequent cross-examination that PDP members interfered with the voting process as a result of their opposition to the use of the BVAS in the conduct of the election.
Gordy Uche, the petitioners’ attorney, stated in his remarks that he had decided to postpone raising a problem with the submission of numerous papers and letters, including the gathering and delivery of the cards to his permanent address.
Additionally, he took issue with the petitioner submitting a copy of the cards they had distributed on election day, but he deferred going into any detail until the time of final address.
Prof. Taiwo Osipitan, the attorney for the second respondent (Gov. Dapo Abiodun), then requested a postponement and stated that the following witness must appear and present some papers before the matter can be concluded on Tuesday.
The copy of the subpoena that was approved by the tribunal was designated as exhibit RA5 in its judgement. Additionally, the letter that the first witness submitted asking for ATM on behalf of Adebutu was accepted as exhibit RA6.
A letter of deposit for N2 billion was designated as exhibit RA7 in a similar vein.
The tribunal continued by arguing that there was no need for re-examination because all the questions were direct and the witnesses responded in the same manner. It then continued the hearing on Tuesday.