From Paul Osuyi, Asaba
Delta State chapter of the All Progressive Congress (APC) on Friday said it has uncovered plans by Governor Ifeanyi Okowa and the People Democratic Party (PDP) to buy votes in the legislative bye-election for Isoko South Constituency I of the state House of Assembly holding on September 11, 2021.
Governor Okowa and state chairman of the PDP, Kingsley Esiso had during campaigns, promised monetary reward for the party ward executives in the constituency which produce the highest number of votes for the party during the scheduled bye-election.
But the APC viewed the promise as another attempt to buy the conscience of voters, and warned the ruling party in the state of dire consequences of such.
In a statement by Mr. Nick Ovuakporie, Director of Communications to the state chairman of APC caretaker committee, Jones Erue, said vote buying is an electoral crime in breach of Article 130 of the Electoral Act 2010, as amended and the 2018 revised Code of Conduct for political parties as stated in section VIII.
The APC cautioned Okowa and the PDP to stop frittering away the state’s resources on vote buying, insisting that attempts to buy votes were indications of failures of the PDP-led administration.
It stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari’s APC administration at the centre released billions of bailout funds to Okowa overtime “which unfortunately have been mismanaged by a government that is best recorded for corrupt practices, endless bank loans and disastrous projects.”
“It is on record that the PDP is gradually going into extinction and no sane mind would take their bogus campaign promises serious,” it added.
The statement called on the voters in the Isoko South Constituency I, not to be hoodwinked into a calamitous mistake in voting for the PDP in the bye-election through financial inducements.
“The PDP and Governor Okowa are obviously haunted by their leadership failures which is why they could resort to offering bribes of N2 million and N3 million per ward to buy votes from the good people of Isoko South Constituency I instead of campaigning and displaying their scorecard with supposed infrastructural achievements which obviously do not exist.
“PDP government’s innumerable abysmal failures and atrocities committed against the Isoko people is unpardonable and a fundamental reason Isoko South Constituency I electorate must repay PDP with total rejection at the polls this Saturday and in 2023 inspite of their financial inducement.
“The APC therefore urges the Isoko South ConstituencyI voters to elect the party’s candidate, Dr. Ogaga Oghene Ifowodo this Saturday to give the people a quality representation at the Delta State House of Assembly.”