Ladi Adebutu is asking the court to restrain the police, SSS, and EFCC from arresting him over an allegation that he deployed two billion naira to induce voters during the 18th March governorship election in Ogun State
The governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) during the 2023 general elections in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, has sued the Attorney General of the federation, Abubakar Malami, Inspector-General of Police, Usman Baba, Director of the State Security Services (SSS), Yusuf Bichi, and the Chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Abdulrasheed Bawa, over allegations of vote buying levelled against him.
The PDP candidate also joined the Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state, Yemi Sanusi, in the suit.
PREMIUM TIMES got a copy of the originating motion filed by Mr Adebutu nearly 12 hours after this newspaper exclusively reported police findings that he deployed two billion naira to induce voters across the state to vote for him and his party during the 18th March election.
The findings are contained in the interim report of the police investigation into a petition written to the Inspector-General of Police by the Ogun State Chairman of the APC.
Mr Adebutu, who eventually lost the election after polling 262, 383 votes to emerge second behind Governor Dapo Abiodun of the APC, who polled 276, 298 votes, has filed a petition before the tribunal.
In a petition dated 18th March, the election day, and addressed to the Inspector-General of Police, the APC chairman in the state accused the PDP candidate of distributing ATM cards preloaded with N10,000 to induce voters on election day.
The petition has now been investigated by a team led by Mohammed Babakura, a deputy commissioner of police at the Criminal Investigation Department of the police in Abeokuta.
After this report was made public in the early hours of Monday by this newspaper, PREMIUM TIMES got Mr Adebutu's court papers the same day.
In the petition, Mr Adebutu noted that the APC had written the petition to Messrs Malami and the EFCC, upon which the police had invited him, allegedly with plans to arrest and distract him from prosecuting his petition against Governor Dapo Abiodun at the election petition tribunal.
Mr Adebutu is praying the court to restrain any of the respondents (except the APC chairman) from arresting him, an act he described as a ploy to prevent him from prosecuting his governorship election petition against the governor.
In the motion, Mr Adebutu is requesting, "A DECLARATION that the invitation of the Applicant for the purpose of arresting and detaining him to prevent him from prosecuting his governorship election petition against the declaration and return of Dapo Abiodun of the All Progressives Congress as the winner of the Ogun governorship election of March 18, 2023, based on the frivolous, baseless, and malicious petition written by the 5th Respondent to the 1st -4th Respondents constitutes a gross violation of the Applicants rights to dignity of his person and his personal liberty, and freedom of movement guaranteed under sections 34(1), 35(1) and 36 of the Constitution of FRN 1999 as amended and articles 5 and 6 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act."
The politician further requested " AN ORDER of injunction restraining the 1st - 4th Respondents either by themselves, servant, agents, officers, privies or assigns however described from arresting, detaining, or confirming in any manner whatsoever or howsoever described or infringing on the Applicants Fundamental Human Rights guaranteed under the Chapter IV of the Constitution of FRN 1999 as amended and the Africa Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act based on the frivolous, baseless and malicious petition written by the 5th respondent to the 1st and 4th Respondents against the Applicant aimed at preventing and stopping the applicant from pursuing and prosecuting his governorship election petition against Dapo Abiodun of the APC at the Ogun State Governorship Election Tribunal sitting in Abeokuta, Ogun State.
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"Alternatively, AN ORDER of this Honourable Court ordering the 2nd to 4th Respondents to take the statement of the petitioner, interview and released him on self-recognition to enable him to prosecute his Ogun State governorship election petition against Dapo Abiodun and the All-Progressives Congress(APC). And staying further actions against the Applicant pending the determination and conclusion of his governorship election petition against the declaration and return of Dapo Abiodun as the winner of the Ogun State governorship election held on March 18, 2023. AND for such further order or orders as this Honorable Court may deem fit to make in the circumstance."
