Probe Adebutu, Ogun PDP’s electoral infractions – Group tells security agencies

By Christiana Ekpa

Agroup, Ogun Integrity Vanguard, has tasked the leadership of security agencies in the country, particularly the Nigeria Police, to ensure comprehensive probe of the electoral infractions allegedly perpetrated by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and its governorship candidate in Ogun State, Oladipupo Adebutu, during the March 18 governorship and state assembly elections in the state.

The group made this call in a statement signed by its secretary, Duro Thomas, and made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, on Saturday.

Making reference to the incidents that happened during the polls, the group noted that PDP agents were arrested in the Agbado area of the state by Agbado Police officers with cash, more than 300 PVCs and Verve prepaid ATM cards with the name Caroline Oladunni Adebutu Memorial Endowment Scheme written boldly on them, pointing out that the action was a clear contravention of the Electoral Act.

It said: “It was not only the police that arrested agents of the PDP and other parties carrying out such devious acts.

“As amply documented by the spokesman of the National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Femi Babafemi, operatives of the agency on election duty stopped and searched four party agents with hundreds of money credit cards meant to buy votes at Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta.

“Each card contained N10,000 and was meant to be activated with a code.

“The suspects, who were PDP agents, were subsequently handed over to the police. It is clear that Adebutu’s bloated image is underpinned by corrupt tendencies.

“If we want this election to be a litmus test for future elections where Nigerians say no to manipulation and corruption of the electoral space, there is a need for the police to not only investigate but to also invite the PDP governorship candidate to explain why he carried out such infractions.”

The group added that a situation where some people believed that they could have their way through manipulation and corruption of the electoral process must stop.

“If INEC is sincere, this is the time to prosecute and make some people scapegoats,” it said.

Fake news: We didn’t suspends OPAY, PALMPAY — CBN

The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) has described as fake, the news making the rounds that it suspended accounts of Fintech companies like OPAY and PALMPAY.

CBN’s Acting Director of Corporate Communications, Isa AbdulMumin, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja on Friday that the viral news “is simply fake’’.

The viral news credited to Mr AbdulMumin stated that the CBN was about to suspend accounts of the Fintech companies because they were being used to perpetrate fraud.

“Please if you are using OPAY, PALMPAY or any of these CHINA APPs or their POS, stop keeping much money in the account or stop using it.

“The CBN is about suspending their accounts because these apps are being used to perpetrate fraud,’’ the viral news read in parts.

OPAY and PALMPAY had in separate social media messages denied being under the radar of the CBN.

OPAY had stated that: “the post mentioning the CBN shutting down our operations is false and misleading to the general public.’’

PALMPAY also posted a similar disclaimer, saying: “we are aware of news currently being spread on social media about CBN shutting down the operations of PALMPAY.

“Please ignore all such misleading news of this nature,’’ it stated.

OPAY and PALMPAY are licensed under the CBN mobile payment regulatory framework.

They are to provide mobile money services including mobile payment services to both the banked and unbanked and to drive financial inclusion.