Vote-buying: Ogun Police are accused by PDP of concealing APC investigation reports

The All Progressives Congress (APC) was accused of engaging in vote-buying during the most recent governorship election, and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ogun State has accused the state police command of failing to divulge the investigation’s findings.

This was said by Sikirulahi Ogundele, the PDP chairman for Ogun, during a press conference he held on Monday at the party headquarters in Abeokuta.

Ogundele gave Abiodun Alamutu, the Ogun County Commissioner of Police, a 72-hour deadline to release the findings on the vote-buying allegations brought against the ruling party.

Through his attorney, Adebutu wrote a petition to the Inspector General of Police in June, saying that during the governorship election, his rival had bought votes and engaged in electoral violence.

Ogundele stated during the press conference that their appeal was started but not finished during the tenure of the recently deceased IGP, Alkali Baba.

The party has it on good authority that the inquiry has come to a close, but the command has refused to make the investigation’s report public, the chairman continued.

The immediate past Inspector General of Police, Baba Alkali, had ordered an investigation based on a petition from the opposition party dated May 2, 2023, he claimed, and APC was “putting unbearable pressure on and also threatening the Ogun State Commissioner of Police, Abiodun Alamutu and his officers to allegedly suppress the release and distort the findings of the investigation.”

He said that the APC purchased votes using prepaid credit cards that were loaded with billions of Naira through a company called “One Card Nigeria Limited,” controlled by Mr. Tunde Odulaja.

He claimed that even though the police had interviewed enough witnesses, gathered enough information, and the investigation had been completed, “the police have refused to submit and release the findings and report of the investigation.”

In response to the earlier appeal the APC filed against the PDP candidate, Ogundele questioned why the police released the report so quickly “without interviewing or obtaining statements from those against whom the APC levelled allegations of vote-buying.”

The PDP also criticised the Federal Ministry of Justice for acting “in the most unprofessional manner and in a clear abuse of its prosecutorial powers with the charging of our governorship candidate, Adebutu and other supporters before the State High Court based on the incomplete and inchoate investigation report when they lacked the power under Section 145(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 to prosecute the electoral offence.”

He threatened to take action against the Ogun State Commissioner of Police unless he released the findings of their inquiry within 72 hours.

Omolola Odutola, a spokeswoman for the Ogun police, denied knowing anything about the accusation when contacted for comment.

“I’m not aware of this. I haven’t received a briefing on this from my employer. I like to speak out about horrible crimes and other issues that DPOs in far-off places can bring up.

“I’m sorry, but I’m at a loss for words. Thank you for your patience, she wrote in a message.

The PDP’s allegations were dismissed as untrue by the publicity secretary, Tunde Oladunjoye, in response to the claim.

The Ogun PDP and its governorship candidate were urged by Oladunjoye to “stop wasting their time on a lost battle but instead concentrate their energies and resources on defending themselves against the weighty criminal charges hanging around their necks, and to which many of their conspirators have confessed.”