APC, PDP, praise voters, trade words over vote-buying allegation

The All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), in Ekiti State have continued to accuse each other of vote-buying, days after the election has ended. The parties condemned the practice of vote-buying, saying such practice should be discouraged to allow democracy grow. They also urged media houses to be fair in hearing all parties involved in the election, saying that selective treatment of issues is a denial of fair hearing for correct public judgment. The APC, however, expressed appreciation to the voters over peaceful conduct of the last weekend’s governorship election that returned its candidate, Dr Kayode Fayemi, as Governor-Elect. A statement by the Publicity Secretary, Taiwo Olatunbosun, praised voters for turning out enmasse to vote for the party’s candidate, saying that the gesture would ginger the governor to continue with his pro-people programmes to lift Ekiti people out of poverty. Olatunbosun denied the charge that APC was engaged in vote-buying during the election, explaining that the party did not join in the despicable act of vote-buying through inducement to con the people of Ekiti by Governor Ayodele Fayose and PDP candidate, Prof Olusola Eleka. “Fayose and Eleka are known for throwing tokens at our people from the resources of the state, using the instrument of government. They believe that is what their loyalty is worth and they never had any plan to lift them beyond the poverty level. “The return of Fayemi as governor of Ekiti State is a signal that God still answers the prayers of his people whenever they are under torture. “The victory signals an end to poverty, squalor and oppressive tendencies of a mindless government who shamelessly refused to pay workers their dues, yet could afford to credit the accounts of voters and some sections of workers with amounts ranging from N3,000 to as much as N100,000 just to curry their voting favours,” he said. Olatunbosun frowned at the practice by media houses in their penchant for unfair selection of party executives to speak on pertinent matters of public interest. The APC spokesman explained that he could vouch that APC never got itself involved in vote-buying; rather, the party gave some stipends to its agents legitimately as honorarium for their services “We condemn this illegal act, and we declare that we were never part of this act. We are also demanding that the full weight of the law be brought down upon those who perpetrated the act.”

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