2023 Elections: 70-Year-Old APC Chief Imprisoned for Vote Buying

Wale Igbintade

Justice Ismail Ijelu of the Lagos High Court, sitting in Ikeja, yesterday, sentenced a Chieftain of the All Progressive Congress (APC), Alhaji Wahab Olaniye Hammed, to one year imprisonment for vote buying.

The judge sentenced the 70-year-old  electoral offender after convicting him on a two-count charge of conspiracy and bribery.
Hammed, an APC Surulere ward leader was sentenced following the review of the fact in the case by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC),after he pleaded guilty to the charge.

The anti-graft had accused the convict of vote buying and bribery contrary to the provision of Sections 121 (1) and (5); 121 (1) and (3) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The prosecution counsel, Mr Samuel Daji, told the court that Defendant had on February 25 conspired with one Segun Ijitola, who was still at large, to pay voters during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Elections.

Daji told court that they committed the offence at Unit 28, Gbaja Girls Junior High School, Surulere, where they bribed voters at the unit.
However, at the resumed proceeding for review of fact and sentence, the court directed the interpreter to interpret for Hammed as the prosecution reviewed the fact of the case since the convict claimed he did not understand the English language or pidgin.

The prosecutor, Daji said while the Commission officers on election monitoring duties were at Surulere, Lagos, during the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly Election held on the 25th February, 2023, they received intelligence about the activities of individuals engaging in vote buying and bribery at polling unit 28, located at Gbaja Girls High School Surulere area of Lagos State.

“After the receipt of the intelligence, a team of operatives were dispatched to the polling unit and the defendant was seen sharing money to bribe voters of his party. On citing the operatives of the Commission, the voters ran away, while the defendant was arrested with the sum of N121,000.00.

“The defendant was brought to the Commission’s office located at 15A Awolowo Road Ikoyi Lagos with the exhibit. He was interviewed and he made voluntary statements, where he stated that he was a ward leader of APC in Unit F3 Surulere, Lagos.

“He confessed that the money found with him was given to him by one Hon. Seun Ijtola, a Senior Special Assistant to Chairman Surulere Local Government, to bribe voters to vote for their party APC.  He confessed that he had bribed a few voters before he was arrested, and the money was in N500  denomination.”
Justice Ijelu, however, asked the defendant if he understood the facts reviewed against him by the prosecuting counsel, the defendant answered in affirmative.
The judge, therefore, found him guilty and convicted him.

Before the sentence, the defendant pleaded for mercy in tears.
He said, “Milord I am an old man above 70, I have never been arrested and I have no criminal case or record. I am  also set for surgery slated for Saturday. Since I was arrested and detained, I have not been feeling fine. I battle with high blood pressure and ulcer.”

He further pleaded that at his age, he would not have been involved in such activity if his children were employed, and providing for him.
The defendant counsel, Mr Olabiyi Ademola, also pleaded that the Defendant had been remorseful and regret his action, and vowed not to involve in any of such act again or any criminal act.
The judge, therefore, sentenced him to one year imprisonment. He, however, gave him an option of N500,000.00 in each for the two counts charge against him.