The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Edo governorship election Olumide Akpata has lamented the reported widespread vote-buying and apathy in
The candidate of the Labour Party (LP) in the Edo governorship election Olumide Akpata has lamented the reported widespread vote-buying and apathy in the exercise, saying the poll was meant for the highest bidder.
“As attested to by YIAGA Africa, a leading civil society organisation and domestic observer group, our sacred electoral process was reduced to a commodities market – a bidding war for votes,” he said in a Monday statement, hours after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Monday Okpebholo as the winner of the exercise.
According to Akpata, who was third, behind the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)’s Asue Ighodalo, the vote-buying and voter apathy effectively disenfranchised the people of Edo State.
“Although the election was largely free from historical forms of election-day malpractice such as ballot box snatching and stuffing, it was nevertheless marred by voter intimidation and the falsification of results,” the LP candidate said.
“More insidiously, we witnessed one of the lowest voter turnouts in recent years, a testament to the apathy that has gripped our populace. This disengagement ultimately contributed to the worst-case scenario we now face.”
