The Ogun State chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has extended a welcome to Oladipupo Adebutu, the 2023 governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), upon his return to the country after spending approximately seven months in the United Kingdom.
However, the APC urged Adebutu to present himself to the authorities and address the vote-buying and money laundering charges filed against him by the Federal Government.
In a statement issued by the Assistant Publicity Secretary, Olusola Blessed, the Ogun APC claimed that Adebutu had left the country under suspicious circumstances.
They referred to a letter from the Criminal Investigation Department of the police in Abeokuta, dated April 16, 2023, inviting Adebutu to respond to charges of conspiracy, electoral offenses, and money laundering.
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The APC encouraged Adebutu to follow the honorable path by reporting to the police.
The party stated, “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 a medical vacation, we welcome him back to his fatherland.”
The statement highlighted the importance of Adebutu defending himself against the allegations related to the governorship and House of Assembly elections on March 18, 2023.
The APC referenced the names of PDP members charged for vote-buying and reiterated the need for Adebutu to fulfill his promise to the police in a letter dated May 2, 2023, by turning himself in.
The statement concluded by stating that the trial of already arraigned PDP members in the vote-buying and money laundering charges would resume in February 2024 before Justice Abiodun Akinyemi of the Ogun State High Court, Abeokuta.
As of the time of the report, there was no response from Adebutu’s media aide, Afolabi Orekoya.
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