Vote buying allegation: Civil Society Organization Calls for International Warrant of Arrest on Ladi Adebutu
A civil society organization Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) has called for an international warrant of arrest on Governorship Candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, Ladi Adebutu for alleged violation of electoral act and ignoring police invitation
Penpushing reports that committee made the call in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by its Executive Director, Nelson Ekujumi, explaining that the group has followed with keen interest the police investigation of Adebutu incontrovertible vote buying scam during the March 18, 2023 Governorship poll in the state.
The group pointed out that Adebutu was indicted for using money to induce voters at the polls on election day with a pre-loaded Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards with the inscription Dame Caroline Oladunni to the tune of N10, 000 each for voters
Penpushing further reports that Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) emphasized that Adebutu’s action and act on election day amounted to a violation of Nigeria’s Electoral Act (2022), as amended.
The Group Executive Director declared that the committee physically witnessed this flagrant violation of the electoral Act on election day by Adebutu and his party from the reports of it’s deployed observers as well as through complaints by some voters who felt that they were deceived to vote and collect N10, 000 when some of the pre-loaded Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards could not be redeemed, while others were, unaware that they were accessories to a crime.
‘This anomaly and electoral Act violation is contained in CPPM observation report and has now been corroborated by the report of the Nigeria Police investigation of this crime against the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. This case “must be pursued to a logical conclusion to serve as a deterrent to politicians and sanitize our democracy,” the statement added.
Penpushing also reports that the civil society organization noted that the report of the Nigeria Police investigation with regards to the inducement of voters with the pre-loaded Automated Teller Machine (ATM) cards with the inscription Dame Caroline Oladunni, provision of POS terminals within the vicinity of polling stations in Ogun State on election day to redeem the N10, 000 vote buying money is public knowledge and verifiable.
‘The Committee for the Protection of Peoples Mandate (CPPM) used the occasion of the press statement to commend the security agencies for this painstaking and thorough report and for the arrest of some of the perpetrators of this violations of the Electoral Act on election day for which their statements and exhibits were used as part of the investigation to establish that the PDP gubernatorial candidate, Mr. Adebutu, who is now on the run, has a case to answer’, the group stated.
‘The civil society organization then called on the Nigeria Police to interface with Interpol to issue an international warrant of arrest on Mr Adebutu, who is trying to deflect from his alleged violation of the electoral Act by fleeing the country under the guise of his life being threatened’, the statement said.
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