Ekiti: We didn’t indulge in vote buying – PDP

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) has denied allegations of vote-buying during the Saturday, July 14, 2018 governorship election in Ekiti State.

The main opposition party said its leadership would not allow such practice under any guise.

In a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Kola Ologbondiyan, yesterday, the PDP said no matter the machination of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), it will not descend to vote-buying in any election.

The opposition party said claims by some APC members that their party resorted to vote-buying in the Ekiti governorship poll because other parties engaged in the practice does not relate to it.

“The PDP spent resources and energy on a democratic campaign which preceded the Ekiti election and never set up kiosks for the ‘see and buy’ of votes, as the APC unabashedly did,” the party stated.

The party vowed to ensure the APC does not “get away with crass abuse of democratic norms through which it suppressed the will of Ekiti people and appropriated victory to itself in the governorship election.”

Meanwhile, a former governorship aspirant and chieftain of Accord Party (AP) in Ogun State, Omooba Segun Adewale, has decried the alleged vote-buying in the governorship election.

Adewale described the development as “worrisome and detrimental to Nigeria’s democracy.”

He also known as OSA, stated this in a statement by his media aide, Oluwaseyi Babarinde, which was circulated to newsmen in Abeokuta, capital of Ogun State, yesterday.

According to him, reports of alleged financial inducement orchestrated by the APC and the PDP were disturbing and capable of further impoverishing the state as well as affecting the welfare of the citizens.

Adewale equally alleged that the billions of naira deployed for the governorship election in Ekiti was a desperate attempt to win the state.

“This development proves that the masses support for the Buhari-led government is dwindling every day; due to failure of government to find solutions to the social-economic and security challenges facing them, hence, the decision to buy votes.

“Where did they see the billions of naira that were spent on buying votes when the masses are wallowing in abject poverty? Monies that could be channelled towards achieving good governance, were wasted on election,” said Adewale.

He, however, appealed to Nigerians, especially the people of Ogun state, to resist desperate politicians who would want to lure them with cash, to sell their votes next year.

“As we approach the 2019 general election, I urge the people of Ogun state to remain resolute and be determined to vote out anyone who has failed to fulfil the promises he or she made. Our destinies are in our hands,” Adewale submitted.