The Labour Party (LP) candidate in the Edo State governorship election, Olumide Akpata, has criticized the recently concluded election, describing it as a transactional process marred by vote-buying.
Akpata, who secured 22,763 votes, placing third in the contest, made his position known during a press conference in Benin City on Monday.
Speaking in a statement titled “Unbowed, Unbent, and Unbroken,” Akpata expressed his lack of sympathy for the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) after its loss, accusing the party of participating in a bidding war with the All Progressives Congress (APC).
He alleged that both major parties, APC and PDP, engaged in widespread vote-buying, compromising the integrity of the election.
Akpata stated, “PDP, who now cry foul after being outmanoeuvred 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.
“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.
“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 will ultimately be the source of their undoing.
“The engagement of widespread vote-buying scheme by APC and PDP has reduced our electoral process to a commodity market and a bidding war for votes.”
He, however, accused some members of Labour Party and agents for willingly selling their future for peanuts to the “very political parties whose actions and policies have impoverished them”.
“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.
“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.
“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.
“To those who defied the odds, came out to vote, and stayed to ensure their votes were counted: I commend your courage and commitment to our democracy. You are the true heroes of this election,” he added.
As for his next course of action, Akpata revealed that further consultations with party members would determine whether he would challenge the election results in court.
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