Olumide Akpata: Some LP members sold their votes during Edo guber for freshly minted cash

Olumide Akpata, the Labour Party (LP) candidate in the Edo state governorship election, has claimed that some members of the party sold their votes during the poll.

On Sunday, Farouk Adamu, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) returning officer, declared APC candidate Monday Okpebholo as the winner, securing 291,667 votes.

Asue Ighodalo of the PDP followed with 247,655 votes, while Akpata finished third with 22,763 votes

In an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, Akpata described the election as a “transaction”, alleging widespread vote-buying by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP).

“There was no election, it was a transaction… 300,000 votes by our estimation were bought by the two parties actively participating in that bazaar,” he said.

Akpata expressed disappointment with the electorate, saying the level of poverty in the state had beclouded voters’ reasoning.

He said the party had placed confidence in the people but found that many voters chose financial incentives over their promises for change.

“The people decided to go for freshly minted cash that was on offer. We campaigned vigorously… but in the face of inducement of that magnitude, apparently they capitulated,” Akpata said.

“Let me tell you, members of my party sold their votes. If you think that you know the people, you have to think again and you have to look inwards. For me, that was a lesson. That was a big lesson to learn.

“The level of deprivation, poverty in the land has made it such that the people are unable to connect the dots between their current situation and those who are the cause of their situation.”