NewStats: 3,264,171 , 8,182,862 topics. Date: Tuesday, 10 June 2025 at 02:02 AM 5h2ga

The Nigeria Police Force has submitted a report to the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), indicting a top politician, Ladi Adebutu, for money laundering and vote-buying, TIMES can report.

Mr Adebutu, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State, is indicted for deploying two billion naira to induce voters across the state to vote for him and his party during the 18 March election, the police said.

“We have written our report and submitted it,” said Oladimeji Yomi, Ogun State Commissioner of Police. “The next step is for INEC and the Attorney General of the Federation to look into the report and determine how to proceed against the suspect,” Mr Yomi told TIMES on Monday.

The investigator said Mr Adebutu had yet to honour their invitation to respond to the allegation. “Obviously, we have written to invite him (Adebutu), he does not appear to be in a hurry to honour our invitation,” Mr Yomi said.

On 14 May, this medium published a report in which Mr Adebutu claimed he fled Nigeria over threats to his life. However, a police interim report stated that he had told police investigators, through his lawyers, following his invitation over the petition, that he was receiving medical treatment abroad.

According to our earlier report, Mr Adebutu ran into trouble on 18 March for allegedly using Verve ATM credit cards branded in the name of his late mother, ‘Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Endowment Scheme,’ to buy votes in all polling booths.

Mr Adebutu is a household name in Ogun State, where he lost the governorship election in March after polling 262, 383 votes to return second behind Governor Dapo Abiodun of the APC, who polled 276, 298 votes. He has, however, filed a petition before the election petition tribunal to challenge Mr Abiodun’s return.

Police investigators said they had done their job covering all the necessary grounds against Mr Adebutu.

“We have done our investigative job and our report is already with the Attorney-General of the Federation and INEC,” Mr Yomi, the Police Commissioner, said, adding, “It is an election matter so it is INEC and the Attorney-General who will take the matter forward,” he said. “Whatever they come up with, we will know the next line of action.

“We have covered all the necessary grounds we need to cover. We interrogated necessary suspects involved and the bank Interswitch. Only Adebutu is left for us to interview. So to that extent, the case remains open,” Mr Yomi added.

“We are now expecting the legal advice from the Federal Director of Prosecutions, who also has our investigative report. If Adebutu shows up, we will speak to him and update our report,” the police officer said.

Mr Adebutu’s spokesperson Afolabi Orekoya denied all allegations against his principal.

Nigerian politicians are notorious for vote-buying. But shortly before the general election, a cash redesign policy by the Central Bank of Nigeria led to a severe cash shortage across the country, leaving politicians to design other ingenious ways of compromising voters, most of whom have been impoverished by poor service delivery and corruption by elected and appointed officials.

Government officials confirmed that one of the aims of the CBN naira redesign policy was to prevent vote-buying at the general elections, a phenomenon that had blighted off-season governorship elections in Anambra, Kogi, Edo, Ekiti, Ondo and Osun States.

To address the widespread vote-buying menace, penalties were stipulated in the amended Electoral Act 2022.

Section 121 of the Act states:

1. Any person who does any of the following-

(a) directly or indirectly, by his or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf, corruptly makes any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement to or for any person, to induce such person to procure or to endeavour to procure the return of any person as a member of a legislative house or to an elective office or the vote of any voter at any election;

(b) upon or in consequence of any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement corruptly procures, or engages or promises or endeavours to procure, the return of any person as a member of a legislative house or to an elective office or the vote of any voter at any election;

(c) advances or pays or causes to be paid any money to or for the use of any other person, with the intent that such money or any part thereof shall be expended in bribery at any election, or who knowingly pays or causes to be paid any money to any person in discharge or repayment of any money wholly or in part expended in bribery at any election;

(d) after any election directly, or indirectly, by his or herself, or by any other person on his or her behalf receives any money or valuable consideration on of any person having voted or refrained from voting, or having induced any other person to vote or refrain from voting or having induced any candidate to refrain from canvassing for votes for his or herself at any such election, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both.

(2) A voter commits an offence of bribery where before or during an election directly or indirectly by his or herself or by any other person on his or her behalf, receives, agrees or contracts for any money, gift, loan, or valuable consideration, office, place or employment, for his or herself, or any other person, for voting or agreeing to vote or for refraining or agreeing to refrain from voting at any such election.

Many persons – including politicians, party agents and voters – were arrested in parts of the country before and during the 2023 general elections for vote buying and related offences. The electoral and security agencies have the responsibility for prosecuting them in court.

https://www.timesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/600009-exclusive-police-speak-on-n2-billion-vote-buying-allegation-involving-adebutu.html

The evil party and fraudulent activities are inseparable. I have never seen any political party in the history of Nigeria that is corrupt as the evil party call APC.

Dapo is a Goner.

They are trying to bully Ladi into abandoning his mandate

too much money in politics

no wonder they all want to die there

Same Police that refused speaking on MC Oluomo threatening Igbos during the Presidential selection.

Agbado Police Commissioner has been commissioned to write CORN-filled police report against Ladi Adebutu, the authentic winner of the Ogun State governorship election just so that his case at the Tribunal can be frustrated.

Ogun people didn’t vote for Dapo Dagboru. He should do and vacate Ladi’s seat for him.

Funny, it is only Ogun State commissioner of police that is able to come up with this kind of Nonsense. The APC governor of my state, only God knows how much he deployed on the day of election, voters were openly offered cash ranging from ten to five to two thousand naira to vote, it was done in the open. Nobody, no police saw these in all the APC states, only this "super cop". Rubbish and Nonsense

you have refuse to investigate tinubu that bought eyeneck chair & table

Noted

It's ok

So that's why he fled the country

manipulandum

yemmight:
Dapo is a Goner.

His GodFather Bola Tinubu is about to be sworn is as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

I see fractions in Pdp after the Supreme Court has dismantled their petition, & Osun & Oyo porting to APC States.

Whole former western Nigeria from Lagos to Edo state will be under the jurisdiction of the All Progressives Congress.

Una go just dey call money anyhow.

oluwaseyi0:
too much money in politics

no wonder they all want to die there

You're absolutely right bro. They all understand the language of money.

Funny country! The same Ogun State where APC candidate name and picture plus party was printed on envelope with the some of #10,000 to induced the voters. Police dey play

How my top politicians were investigated or arrested in Ekiti ,Ondo and Osun States for vote buying. Police must stop this vendetta against Adebutu

dominique:
So that's why he fled the country

Maybe the Mumu wants to pull of a Rotimi Amaechi, & be declared Governor of Ogun State from exile?

Ballack1:
How my top politicians were investigated or arrested in Ekiti ,Ondo and Osun States for vote buying. Police must stop this vendetta against Adebutu

Then he should just quietly drop his petition against the result of the governorship election.

Port to APC ASAP, hopefully contest under the party, after using baba ijebu money to buy his way through the party structure for the next 3 & a half years, with I swear, it is only one term I want to serve as Governor.

It is possible Pdp Peter Obi did it, paid & manipulated his way with the Laborious parry in 5 days, even former Pdp Governor Gbenga Daniels, now APC Senator comes to mind.

No honor amongst politicians.

OmoOgunOriginal:



https://www.timesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/600009-exclusive-police-speak-on-n2-billion-vote-buying-allegation-involving-adebutu.html

Mr Adebutu ran into trouble on 18 March for allegedly using Verve ATM credit cards branded in the name of his late mother, ‘Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Endowment Scheme,’ to buy votes in all polling booths.

But we saw branded cards of other types and parties on display in Lagos and other places by party faithfuls and citizens.
It is difficult to know what is legal and illegal in Nigeria without shared, common values.

Oh oh

Generalkorex:
Una go just dey call money anyhow.

Without certified true copy conclusive evidence from The Central Bank of Nigeria.

What?

favor914:
His GodFather Bola Tinubu is about to be sworn is as President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria?

I see fractions in Pdp after the Supreme Court has dismantled their petition, & Osun & Oyo porting to APC States.

Whole former western Nigeria from Lagos to Edo state will be under the jurisdiction of the All Progressives Congress.

Why not wait fess until Tinubu makes it to the inauguration before issuing childish threats.
BTW when did Edo state become Yoruba land? The number 1 obedient state will never fall for agbado politics.

Power play in high places!

OmoOgunOriginal:



https://www.timesng.com/regional/ssouth-west/600009-exclusive-police-speak-on-n2-billion-vote-buying-allegation-involving-adebutu.html

How about the votes the agents of Tinubu bought? What about the harassment of innocent voters by the thugs of Tinubu? Selective justice cannot move Nigeria forward. It will only divide us more.