African Democratic Congress Candidate Slams Conduct of Ondo Governorship Election
Myson Nejo, the candidate for the African Democratic Congress in the recent Ondo governorship election, has launched a scathing attack on the conduct of the poll, accusing widespread vote-trading of influencing the outcome.
Speaking to Punch in an exclusive interview, Nejo revealed that his refusal to engage in vote-buying likely contributed to his crushing defeat. Despite this, he expressed gratitude to Ondo State residents for staying true to their convictions without resorting to bribery.
The poll results, announced by State Returning Officer Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi at the State Collation Centre in Akure, showed All Progressives Congress candidate Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa comfortably in the lead with a significant margin of 248,936 votes.
Aiyedatiwa’s victory margin was bolstered by sweeping victories in all 18 local government areas, officially re-electing him for a new term.
In a moment of introspection, Governor Aiyedatiwa attributed his success to Ondo State residents’ honesty and commitment to the voting process, stating, “I thank the good people of Ondo State for voting for me without financial enticements. This convinces me that their vote is valid, devoid of any unethical practices like vote-buying on my side.”
Nejo drew attention to the widespread practise of vote-buying, stating that votes were sold for as much as N20,000. While recounting his own election day experience, he divulged that votes were offered for N10,000 to N15,000 in his polling unit. Defiantly, he had refused to engage in the practice, ultimately accruing only 40 total votes.
“People were offering between N20,000 to N15,000, but I didn’t falter. I told those approaching me that I wasn’t prepared to bribe voters, and I asked them to vote freely – for a price or no price at all,” he stressed.
