Ogun Court Rejects Adebutu’s Bid to Strike Out Vote-Buying Charges, Trial Set for 2026

The Ogun State High Court on Wednesday delivered a significant ruling dismissing the application filed by the legal team representing Oladipupo Ladi Adebutu and five co-defendants, seeking to strike out the criminal charges against them. The charges, brought by the Federal Government of Nigeria, allege that Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) gubernatorial candidate in the 2023 general election, orchestrated widespread vote-buying across Ogun State—a violation of the Electoral Act 2022.

At the resumed hearing of case number AB/10C/2023, presided over by Justice T. A. Okunsokan, the court directed the prosecution to proceed to trial. The prosecution team, led by Rotimi Jacobs, SAN, resisted the defendants’ request to dismiss the charges. Adebutu’s defense had contended that the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) lacked the constitutional authority to initiate the prosecution, a claim the court decisively rejected.

Justice Okunsokan ruled that sections 144 and 145 of the Electoral Act, which the defense relied upon, conflict with section 174 of the Constitution. The Constitution grants the AGF the exclusive power to institute criminal proceedings in such matters. The court further dismissed the claim of double jeopardy raised by Adebutu’s lawyers, referencing section 245(1) of Ogun State’s Administration of Criminal Justice Law, affirming that the principle did not apply in this case.

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This ruling means the case will proceed to trial, with dates set for January 29 and 30, 2026. Adebutu and his co-defendants, charged along with others associated with the PDP, face allegations tied to corrupt practices intended to influence the outcome of the March 2023 governorship election in Ogun State. The trial promises to be closely watched in the political landscape, given the gravity of the accusations and their implications for electoral integrity.

The context of this case also recalls that Adebutu had previously been arraigned in absentia and was reported to have left the country amid the ongoing investigation and related allegations. This trial marks an important milestone in the legal proceedings against him.