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Ladi Adebutu is on the run, trying to evade prosecution for vote buying, money laundering–Investigation

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Face your criminal charges and stop sounding like a broken record, Ogun APC tells Adebutu, PDP

Ladi Adebutu is on the run, trying to evade prosecution for vote buying, money laundering–Investigation

Contrary to his claim that he left the country because of alleged threats to his life, the
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State, Hon Ladi Adebutu, actually travelled abroad to evade the long arm of the law over alleged criminal activities, sources have revealed.
Checks revealed that Adebutu left the country following security agencies’ uncovering of a vote buying plot linked to him during the March 18, 2023 governorship and House of Assembly polls in Ogun State and the invitation extended to him to clarify issues.
According to the sources, Adebutu was alleged to have perpetrated bribery, conspiracy and peddling undue influence contrary to sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act 2022;  breach of electoral law prohibiting vote trading, deliberate facilitation of money laundering, and connivance to deliberately breach the  monetary policy of the Federation.
Sources revealed that in a letter made available to security agencies investigating his criminal activities, Adebutu had indicated that he travelled abroad to seek medical care, and had given no indication of threat to life.
Sources within the security services indicated that
preliminary nvestigations showed that in the build-up to the election, Adebutu had contacted his bank and caused over 200,000 prepaid Verve bank cards preloaded with N10,000 each to be printed.
Ladi Adebutu is on the run, trying to evade prosecution for vote buying, money laundering--Investigation
A credible security source confirmed,  with clear-cut evidence that these Verve Bank Cards were delivered directly  in two batches on the 16th and 17th of March 2023,  respectively,  by an accounts officer from Zenith bank.
This, it was  maintained, is a violation of Section 121of the Electoral Act (2022), which prescribes 12 months’ imprisonment for any “person who directly or indirectly, by his or herself or by any other person on his other behalf corruptly makes any gift, loan, offer, promise, procurement or agreement to or for any person, in order to induce such person to procure or to endeavour to procure the return of any person as a member of a legislative house or to an elective office or the vote of any voter at any election.”
The Verve cards, which were supposedly printed to honour the lawmaker’s late mother, were however uncovered as vote buying instruments going by the confessions of party agents and POS operators arrested by security agencies during the polls, which indicted the PDP guber candidate.
Adebutu was said to have applied for the Verve cards from Zenith Bank on February 27, 3023 two days after the presidential election which the PDP lost by a wide margin in Ogun State, following which the cards were delivered to him by his relationship officer in the bank.
Investigation further revealed that contrary to Adebutu’s claim that the cards were issued during his mother’s burial, they were actually issued few days to the election, raising the obvious question of collusion by Zenith Bank with a politically exposed person to perpetrate electoral fraud.
Also, the statements by some of Adebutu’s polling agents that were arrested confirmed that he gave them the cards to manipulate the March 18 polls.
The sources described Adebutu’s actions , using game-betting platforms and POS operators, as well planned, carefully orchestrated and unprecedented electoral fraud made out of desperation after losing the February 25, 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections.
Adebutu and his agents were said to have
distributed the cards throughout the over 5000 polling units and positioned POS operators at the same so each voter could convert the card to cash at the POS terminals.
The cards were said to have been funded on the 16th and 17th of March directly from Adebutu’s account with Zenith Bank, with the lawmaker paying over N2.4bn directly from his account.
Said a source: “Checks at the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) showed that the foundation in whose name the PDP candidate carried out his criminal activities were fictitious.
“We have it on good authority that following a petition written to security agencies over the incident, it was observed that Adebutu expended huge sums to manipulate the March 18 2023. governorship election in Ogun State.
“Hon Adebutu caused prepaid Verve cards preloaded with N10,000 each and bearing such inscriptions as Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Empowerment Scheme, Dame Caroline Scheme and “Dame Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme, to be printed under the guise of honouring his late mother, but it was a vote buying gimmick, and these cards were used to buy votes on March 18.
“Luck, however, ran out on him when party agents and POS operators who were  used to perpetrate the deliberate manipulation of the electoral process were arrested by the security agencies and made statements that indicted him.
“The financial institutions that collaborated with him have revealed that he contacted them to create the cards which were delivered to him two days to the governorship election.
“It was when he observed that all these things had come into the open that he suddenly disappeared into thin air in order to evade justice.”
The security sources, which accused the PDP lawmaker of violating Sections 121 and 127 of the Electoral Act (2022) which expressly forbid vote buying, said that it was regrettable that Adebutu had flagrantly violated laws meant to sanitize Nigeria’s electoral process.

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Tinubu @72: Photos As Lagos Lawmakers Honour Nigeria’s President

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Tinubu @72: Photos As Lagos Lawmakers Honour Nigeria’s President

 

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Lawmakers at the Lagos State House of Assembly took turns to speak glowingly of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday as he marks his 72nd birthday on Friday.

 

 

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The lawmakers commended the President for deciding on no-celebration of his birthday in consideration of the mood of the nation as, according to them, this was the mark of true leadership.

However, the lawmakers said it was important to celebrate the President’s achievements while he was governor of Lagos and his current strides noting that his policies in the State have continued to put Lagos on the global map.

Speaker of the House, Rt. Hon. Mudashiru Obasa, while praying for good health and strength for the President, noted that the successes so far achieved by Lagos can be linked to Tinubu’s wisdom and leadership capacity.

“When Asiwaju Tinubu became governor, we all know how much Lagos was earning. He successfully moved the revenue of the state from N600 million to over N8 billion in 2007. He also set in motion strategies for the upward progression of the revenue generation.

“This is not just about his birthday. It is a celebration of Lagos and where his policies have carried us. The Lagos Red Line rail project was unveiled recently and Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu reiterated that the achievement can be attributed to Asiwaju who created the Lagos Metropolitan Area Transport Authority (LAMATA) while he was governor,” Dr. Obasa said.

The Speaker directed the Clerk of the House, Barr. Olalekan Onafeko, to transmit a congratulatory message to the President on behalf of the lawmakers, staff and management of the Assembly.

In his contribution, the Majority Leader of the House, Hon. Noheem Adams, prayed that the steps currently being taken by the President would bring Nigeria out of its challenges.

While the Deputy Majority Leader, Adedamola Richard Kasunmu, described Tinubu as a compassionate leader, Hon. Sa’ad Olumoh (Ajeromi-Ifelodun 1) said Tinubu’s journey has been one of successes as seen in Lagos and his current administration at the centre. He prayed that the President’s current policies will also be beneficial to every citizen.

On his part, Hon. Sylvester Ogunkelu (Epe 2) recalled how Obasa prayed in 2019 that Tinubu would be president adding that Tinubu had shown his leadership acumen by deciding not to celebrate this year’s birthday.

Hon. Foluke Osafile (Amuwo Odofin 1) commended the President’s current steps while Hon. Adewale Temitope (Ifako Ijaiye 1) prayed that God continue to direct Tinubu’s paths and also keep Lagos lawmakers soaring.

 

 

Tinubu @72: Photos As Lagos Lawmakers Honour Nigeria's President

Eromosele Ebhomele
Chief Press Secretary to the Speaker of the Lagos State House of Assembly.

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BEHOLD THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE OF OSADEBE AVENUE BECKONS

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BEHOLD THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE OF OSADEBE AVENUE BECKONS

BEHOLD THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE OF OSADEBE AVENUE BECKONS

 

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In the spirits of the exigencies of present charged up political topical realities and conversations,I am inherently inclined to ruminate and juggle our consciousness around the personage of Hon Senator M.Okpebholo and his walk towards becoming the Governor of Edo State.

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Humanity has always been subsumed,inundated with transformative phases culminating into palpable tangible events and outcomes and leading to positive disruptive developmental changes.

Undoubtedly,ideas visions and actionable goals shapes our world into transcendental growth and transformative developments.

A purposeful and iconoclastic idea whose time has come breaks down all barriers and obstacles to shine and glow into unparalleled unbridled fruition and acceptance.

In this sense,it’s pertinent to encapsulate rather unequivocally that Senator M Okpebholo emergence as the flag bearer of APC in the forthcoming Edo State elections is an idealistic momentous indication of an idea whose time has come-he is the rave of the moment that everyone should reasonably pander to and readily identify with without hesitations or scruples.

Resoundingly loud in the lips of rational citizens and netizens in and beyond Edo State is the very unmistakable ubiquitous voices,agitations,drumming,clamoring,for the easy going,down to earth,soft spoken,unassuming,humane,humbleness personified mien of Hon Senator M Okpebholo whose time has come to become the Governor of Edo State.

Typically,analogically and apparently the difficulties encountered with attempting to stop a moving train is the same struggle and resistance cum obstinacy to be overcome all attempts to stop the movement of SMO trains into Osadebey Avenue.

Interestingly,but ironically rumor mill and social media tends to be irreverently awash with arguments and postulations for or against and about the antecedents and benevolent overtures of SMO in the past as indices,parameters and anecdotes or measuring yardstick for future performances upon emergence as Governor….and l am simply miffed,wondering and asking rhetorically for the umpteenth time a subliminal regurgitation of our memories as to the performances of our erstwhile Governor Oshiomhole Gov Obaseki,Gov Igbinedion,Gov Odigie Oyegun
before they became Governors of Edo State??

I will be stultified and jolted into coalesce,condescension and submission if one can point at a meaningful remembrance of any grandiose project or remarkable charitable contributions they made in their respective local governments or senatorial zones prior to their being elected as Governors.

Suffice to state that I am struggling to decipher the rationale behind the conversation that previous acts of charity and projects done becomes a major political indicator and justification for becoming a Governor of Edo state.

Therefore and rightly so,it aggregates to cheap assailable blackmail all attempts to profile Hon Senator M Okpebolo on the basis of his personal acts of charity as a vicarious lens of assessment and for voting him into Office as Governor or otherwise.

He is irrevocably the beautiful bride of Edo Politics whose time is now.
An impeccable candidate with no baggages.He is his self cheerleader.
He is your everyday people person who operates an open door policy.
He is a rare silent achiever and an astute leader with pedigree of talking less but doing more.
He is an asset and a gift to Edo State

He is not your regular run of the mill boastful politician who speaks with both sides of the mouth denigrating with prism alluring lies uncensored

In the main,the whole essence of political participation is intended to make policy decisions that could shape up and lead to definitive changes,gains and democratic reforms for the generality of the public interest.

And l boldly posit unapologetically that voting Hon Senator M Okpebholo as Governor of Edo State is a wise choice to make come Election Day cos he will walk the talk by matching words with actionable and transformative deliverables of democratic dividends upon becoming the Governor of Edo State.

 

BEHOLD THE BEAUTIFUL BRIDE OF OSADEBE AVENUE BECKONS

Vibes up the Rhythm

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Ondo governorship aspirant, Akintelure is dead

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Ondo governorship aspirant, Akintelure is dead

Ondo governorship aspirant, Akintelure is dead

 

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Sadly, one of the frontline governorship aspirants of the All Progressives Congress (APC) in Ondo State, Paul Akintelure, is dead.

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Before his untimely demise, Akintelure had raised concerns about both direct and indirect threats to his life.

 

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He had expressed hope that the situation would improve over time but sadly, it escalated as the APC governorship primary election scheduled for April 25 approached.

Akintelure’s alarm on threat to life

Akintelure in a statement released by his spokesperson, Oladapo Akintelure, on Thursday, March 21, 2023, said, “Initially, I hope these incidents would dissipate over time, yet regrettably, they have escalated to pose a serious threat to my life”

“The threats against me only strengthen my resolve to stand up for what is right and just. I will not allow fear to dictate our path forward.

“Let us embrace peace, progress, and unity. Our collective strength lies in our to stand together as one, regardless of our differences.”

Political background

Recall Akintelure ran as the deputy governorship candidate of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN) with Rotimi Akeredolu (the incumbent Ondo State governor) against Olusegun Mimiko, the then Labour Party flagbearer, who won the election.

Earlier, he had contested the senatorial election against the Peoples Democratic Party candidate, but he was defeated.

He was a medical doctor and hailed from Igbotako, Okitipupa Local Government Area of Ondo State.

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