Vote buying: How Adebutu applied for production of 200,000 prepaid cards, bank official tells court

Vote buying: How Adebutu applied for production of 200,000 prepaid cards, bank official tells court

A staff of Zenith Bank, Celestina Appeal revealed on Tuesday how the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the March 18, 2023 governorship election in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, applied for the production of 200,000 prepaid valve cards on 27th of February 2023.

At the resumed hearing of the criminal charge against Adebutu and others before the Ogun State High Court, the prosecution (Federal Government of Nigeria) represented by Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), called its 9th witness, Celestina Appeal, who is the head of the department of Card Services in Zenith Bank.

In her testimony, Ms Appeal stated that by a letter dated 27th February 2023, Adebutu applied for the issuance of 200,000 prepaid cards which he claimed were intended for distribution to beneficiaries of his empowerment scheme in commemoration of the death of his mother Dame Caroline Adebutu.

The witness stated that the cards were subsequently produced upon the approval of Verve and that the same were delivered to Adebutu on the 7th and 13th March 2023, respectively.

According to the witness, the account to which the cards were linked was not funded until the 16th and 17th of March 2023, the eve of the 2023 gubernatorial elections.

On how she came in contact with Ladi Adebutu, she said: “I know the 1st defendant. He has been a customer of the bank since 2009. The 1st defendant requested a card from the bank via a letter dated 27th February 2023 to issue 200,000 prepaid cards. The prepaid cards were for beneficiaries in commemoration of the death of his late mother, Dame Caroline Adebutu.

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