Lagos court remands man for ‘vote buying’ during 2023 polls

An Ikeja high court has remanded one Wahab Hameed in the custody of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged vote buying during the 2023 presidential and national assembly elections.

The defendant, who was charged to the court by the EFCC with a two-count charge bordering on conspiracy and bribery, pleaded not guilty on Wednesday.

According to NAN, Samuel Daji, EFCC prosecutor, told the court that the defendant on February 25, conspired with one Segun Ijitola, now at large, to pay voters during the elections.

Daji said the defendant, an alleged member of the All Progressives Congress (APC) committed the offences along with his accomplice at Unit 28, Gbaja Girls Junior High School, in the Surulere area of Lagos.

The EFCC counsel told the court that the offences contravene sections 121 (1) and (5); 121 (1) and 1 (3) of the electoral act, 2022.

Daji added that since the defendant had pleaded not guilty to the charges, the court should grant a short adjournment to enable the commission to fine-tune the facts of the case for a review.

Olabiyi Ademola, the defence counsel, conceded to a short adjournment of the case to December 7 and prayed the court to remand his client in the custody of EFCC.

The judge adjourned the trial to December 7 for a review of facts and judgment.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had said it would soon commence the prosecution of 1,076 electoral offenders arrested in 35 states across the country during the general election.

A source from the commission said the prosecution would be done in collaboration with the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) and the police.

The source said 191 case files have been prepared for the prosecution.