The High Court of Ogun State, presided over by Justice Abiodun Akinyemi, has admitted Ladi Adebutu’s account opening forms and statements of account as evidence in the ongoing trial concerning alleged vote-buying during the March 18 governorship election in Ogun State.
Adebutu, the Peoples Democratic Party candidate in the election, and several members of his party are facing charges related to vote-buying during the poll.
The decision to admit the documents came after Celestina Appeal, an official of Zenith Bank, testified that Adebutu had ordered 200,000 prepaid cards days before the election.
Initially, objections were raised by the defendants’ counsel, Gordy Uche (SAN), citing issues with certification and the foundation for admissibility under Section 90 (1) (e) of the Evidence Act. However, Justice Akinyemi overruled these objections, agreeing with the prosecuting counsel, Rotimi Jacobs (SAN), that certification was not a legal requirement for private documents.
The court ruled that the documents, though entries in a banker’s book, were electronically generated and thus exempt from the strict requirements of Section 90 (1) (e). They were subsequently admitted as Exhibits 21, 22, and 23 respectively.
The trial has been adjourned until May 2nd and 3rd, 2024, as well as June 5th, 6th, and 7th, 2024, for further proceedings.