The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has advised the defeated governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in the state, Honourable Ladi Adebutu, who recently returned to the country after an eight-month medical vacation abroad, to turn himself in to the authorities and defend the vote-buying and money laundering charges preferred against him by the Federal Government.

The party gave this charge in a statement issued on Tuesday by its Assistant Publicity Secretary, Olusola Blessed, in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital.

Recalling that the PDP candidate had left the country in suspicious circumstances after the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the police in Abeokuta, in a letter dated April 16, 2023 and signed by Muhammed Babakura, a deputy commisioner of police, invited him to respond to a case of conspiracy, electoral offences and money laundering received from the Office of the Directorate of Public Prosecution (DPP) of the Federation, Ogun APC urged him to toe the honourable path by reporting 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 levelled 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, were arrested by the operatives of the National Drug Law Agency (NDLEA) in various locations around the state during the 18th March 2023 governorship and House of Assembly’s elections, 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.”