Edo State Labour Party Governorship candidate Olumide Akpata has expressed concern over the outcome of Saturday’s election.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) winner after he polled 291,667 votes to defeat Asue Ighodalo of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who scored 247,274 votes, while LP’s Mr Akpata, came third with 22,763 votes.
In a statement, Akpata spoke on issues of voter intimidation and result manipulation, noting that while there were no major incidents of ballot stuffing, many citizens chose not to vote, leading to low turnout.
He also revealed that he lost his polling unit because he refused to engage in vote buying even if he had the resources to do so.
He criticized the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) for engaging in vote-buying, which he described as undermining the electoral process.
He pointed out that this practice has serious consequences for the state’s future, as it has created a system where wealth, rather than the people’s choice, dictates leadership.
“Let us be clear: what transpired on 21 September 2024 was not an election but a transaction. It was enabled by those who chose to stay away, making it easier for the two dominant parties to afford a significant majority of the few votes on offer, and by those who came out and willingly sold their votes.
“To those who sold their votes: We extend our understanding, not condemnation. We acknowledge the crushing economic hardships that many of you face daily – hardships that make the immediate relief of vote-selling seem like a lifeline. Yet, this short-term gain comes at an immense long-term cost.
“In the end, it became painfully clear that we did not have the people, as many – including some Labour Party faithfuls and agents – willingly sold their future for peanuts to the very political parties whose actions and policies have impoverished them.
“Our campaign steadfastly refused to engage in this cash-and-carry approach. We did not budget to compete with the two political parties whose Governors perhaps may have dipped their hands into their States’ treasuries to provide the war chest for this show of shame. Even if we had the resources, we lacked the inclination to participate in such a perversion of democracy. Nothing illustrates this principle more clearly than the loss of my own polling unit. If I were so inclined, I could have easily mustered enough cash to secure enough votes to win my polling unit. But that is not the path we chose.
“We reserve our strongest condemnation for those who engaged in vote-buying: the APC and PDP. Their actions have directly contributed to the destruction of our State’s economy over the past 25 years, creating the enabling environment for this democratic sacrilege to thrive. This election has laid bare the stark reality that our political landscape is dominated not by ideologies or the people’s will, but by those with the deepest pockets and the most extensive networks of influence.
“I hold no sympathy for the PDP, who now cry foul after being outmaneuvered in this macabre game of thrones. They willingly participated in the bidding war with the APC, fully aware of the rules from the outset. Their lamentations ring hollow in the face of their own complicity in this democratic travesty.
“As for the APC and the Governor-elect, their actions have undermined the democratic process, betrayed the trust of the very people they seek to lead, and eroded faith in our democratic institutions. This is the legacy that will overshadow their ill-gotten mandate. Their “grab, snatch, and run” playbook is akin to riding on the back of a tiger – it will ultimately be the source of their undoing.
“As we stand at this critical juncture in our State’s history, we must ask ourselves: Is this the democracy we envisioned? Is this the legacy we wish to leave for our children? A system where the size of one’s purse determines the weight of one’s voice is not a democracy but a plutocracy in disguise.”
