The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) bought votes from Edo voters, according to Labour Party candidate Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata, after the results of the 2024 Edo State gubernatorial election were announced.
This was in contrast to free and fair election procedures.In a press release issued on Monday, Akpata discussed the results of the Edo governorship elections and bemoaned vote-buying, voter indifference, and what he saw as a corrupt political process.
In addition to pointing out that this election had one of the lowest voter turnouts in recent memory, he said that voter intimidation and results manipulation had undermined the September 21, 2024, election. “In the end, this disengagement led to the worst-case situation we are currently facing,” he said.
Akpata declared, “What happened on September 21, 2024, was not an election, but a transaction,” emphasizing that the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) and the All Progressives Congress (APC) had both participated in extensive vote-buying.He said that the election had devolved into a “commodities market” in which voters were being offered at auction to the highest bidder, citing the civil society organization YIAGA Africa.
He declared, “What happened on September 21, 2024, was a transaction, not an election.”In spite of his comments, Akpata showed compassion to individuals who had sold their votes, recognizing the dire financial circumstances that many people in Edo State were facing. To the voters who sold their votes: We offer our comprehension, not our censure.
We recognize the severe financial struggles so many of you endure on a daily basis—struggles that make vote-selling appear like a lifesaver in the short term. But there’s a huge long-term cost associated with this short-term benefit,” he remarked.
Akpata emphasized that although his campaign refrained from purchasing votes, this was not because of a lack of political awareness but rather a strong dedication to democratic values. He declared, “We did not budget to compete with the two political parties, whose governors may have taken money out of their state treasuries to fund this shameful display.” We were not inclined to take part in such a perversion of democracy, even if we had the means.He went on to say,
“If I were so inclined, I could have easily mustered enough cash to secure enough votes to win my polling unit,” illustrating how this devotion was demonstrated by his defeat in his own polling unit. However, that was not our decision.
Akpata did not hold back in denouncing the APC and the PDP, charging them with undermining Edo State’s economy and fostering the current political environment in which wealth is a determining factor in election success. “We save the harshest criticism for the APC and PDP, who participated in vote-buying. Over the past 25 years, their activities have directly contributed to the collapse of our state’s economy.”This election has laid bare the stark reality that those with the deepest pockets and the largest networks of influence dominate our political landscape, not ideologies or the will of the people,” he continued.
Akpata demanded electoral reform, pushing for a change to a system that would allow technology to be utilized to prevent vote-buying and guarantee free and fair elections. In addition, he urged stakeholders, INEC, and civil society to consider the anomalies in the election and strive for a brighter future.Instead of viewing this as a setback, let it serve as a call to action for everyone who still believes in the potential of democracy. He said, “Our everyday dedication to the values of integrity, transparency, and public service holds the power to create our future, not just in the voting booth.Samuel-Ugwuezi Ozioma
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