The governorship candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mr. Agboola Ajayi, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Mr. Myson Nejo, have strongly opposed the outcome of Saturday’s governorship election, labeling the exercise as “daylight robbery.”

APC Deployed N35bn for Vote-Buying

Speaking on behalf of the PDP candidate, the party’s State Collation Agent, Olaniyi Ogungbuji, accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of deploying over N35 billion to induce voters in the just-concluded Ondo State governorship election. Ogungbuji also alleged that voting did not take place at some polling units in Idanre Local Government Area.

He stated that: “This is the end result of the election, but I can tell you that APC as a party deployed over N35 billion to induce the electorate. If this is the future of this nation, I think we are doomed.”

Ogungbuji added that the party’s candidate, Mr. Ajayi, and the party leadership would determine the next steps in the coming days. “I will report back to him (Ajayi) and the party, and they will decide on the appropriate action,” he said.

ADC Candidate Criticizes Election Conduct

The ADC candidate, Mr. Myson Nejo, also faulted the conduct of the Ondo governorship election, citing widespread vote-buying. Nejo claimed that his refusal to engage in vote-buying led to his defeat, but he expressed satisfaction with his decision, despite the loss.

He said, “I thank the good people of Ondo State for voting for me without accepting any money, and they still voted for me. I want to believe my vote is a valid vote because there was nothing unethical on my side. So far, I want to believe I’m a winner in this election.”

Nejo also confirmed that votes were being bought for as much as N20,000, describing the practice as alarming. He recounted, “People were buying votes for N20,000 or N15,000, and in my polling unit, it was between N10,000 and N15,000. But because I didn’t have money and I told them I wasn’t going to give a kobo to buy votes, I ended up with only two votes in my unit and about 40 votes in total. But I don’t care. People called me, asking for money in exchange for their votes, but I stood my ground. If they wanted to vote, they should vote. I wasn’t going to give a kobo to buy votes.”

APC Dismisses Vote-Buying Allegations

Meanwhile, APC’s state agent, Ade Adeogun, dismissed the allegations of vote-buying, describing them as unfounded excuses. Adeogun said, “You need to understand that throughout this electioneering period, we even complained that Ondo State was over-policed. So, if they had any genuine evidence, they would have reported it to the security agencies, and those involved in vote-buying or inducement would have been arrested.”

He added that, “Without evidence, you can’t just go around making flippant excuses. They lost the election. They lost woefully, and now they are looking for a straw to hold onto.”

Adeogun said the opposition party should be allowed to “weep” over its defeat, stating that, “It’s an allegation, and when you go to court, he who alleges must prove. For you to prove, you must present cogent and verifiable reasons. If you have 10 political parties contesting and only one is complaining, it’s clear they’re still in pain over their loss. Let’s give them time to absorb the defeat and perhaps accept that they lost because they didn’t deserve to win.” (Vanguard)