By John Ogunsemore
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) said Saturday’s gubernatorial election in Ondo State is the worst election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
This is contained in a Sunday statement signed by the party’s National Publicity Secretary, Hon. Debo Ologunagba, hours after INEC declared Hon. Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner.
The Returning Officer for the election, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, who is also the Vice-Chancellor of the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State said Aiyedatiwa of APC secured 366,781 votes to defeat his closest challenger, Agboola Ajayi of PDP, who got 117,845 votes.
Shortly after his declaration as governor-elect, Aiyedatiwa promised to run an inclusive and participatory government and invited the opposition to join him in the task of moving the state forward.
In its reaction, the PDP said, “The Peoples Democratic Party and indeed all lovers of democracy in Nigeria and across the world have just witnessed the worst election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The November 16, 2024, Governorship election in Ondo State runs short of all expectations and requirements of a free, fair and credible election as it witnessed the height of electoral swindling, deceit and manipulation by the All Progressives Congress (APC).
“This election witnessed widespread election merchandising, monetization and barefaced vote buying by the APC and its apparatus in government to suppress the genuine aspiration of the people.
“This devious practice by the APC was rampant and pervasive because the APC have utterly impoverished Nigerians and turned poverty into a weapon of mass subjugation which enabled it to manipulate the election and its outcome.”
The PDP called the attention of all Nigerians and the international community to “this reprehensible practice by the APC as widely witnessed in the November 16, 2024, Governorship election in Ondo State and we demand that a serious action be taken to stem such if Nigeria’s democracy must survive”.
“In the meantime, the National Working Committee (NWC) of the PDP will be having a more detailed review of the election and its outcome and take appropriate action in the defence of our Democracy,” the party added.
