Rerun Election In Ondo Monetized By APC – PDP Alleges

By Ayodele Oni

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo state has observed that the outcome of last Saturday’s rerun election in the state has further confirmed that democracy is still flawlessly being practiced in the country.

The party decried a situation whereby hunger was being deliberately inflicted on the people to Garner votes.

PDP in a statement on Monday by its spokesman, Kennedy Peretei pointed out that “In the last seven years, the APC has brought hunger and lack into homes.

“Poverty walks on all four legs in the state. Such a party can only use hunger as a weapon to garner votes which is what happened in this case.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Ifeoluwa Ehindero, winner of the Akoko North-East and Akoko North-West Federal constituency by-election in Ondo State.

Johnson Fasinmirin, a professor, of the Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA), the Returning Officer of the election, declared Mr Ehindero winner after the counting of votes at the collation centre at Victory College, Ikare-Akoko on Saturday.

Mr Fasinmirin said that the APC candidate polled 35,504 votes to defeat his closest rival, Olalekan Bada of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who had 15,328 votes.

PDP statement said “The bye-election for the Akoko North East/North West Federal Constituency held over the weekend without any loss of life and significant violence apart from a few places like Oyin-Akoko where PDP voters were intimidated to vote APC.

“Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State Chapter’s legal team and experts are still studying the election results as announced by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to decide on our next line of action.

“In the weeks preceding the election, our party combed all the nooks and crannies, campaigning door to door for the PDP candidate, Hon. Olalekan Bada, the responses we received everywhere we went were not only re-assuring but also overwhelming.

“This was not unconnected with the age long understanding and perfect rotational agreement between Akoko North East and Akoko North West.

“An arrangement that favoured Akoko North East where our candidate hails from. However, two days to election, the APC which relied on government and the people’s fund in their custody stormed homes of party leaders and other individuals with the sole aim of changing their minds.

“Our party wishes to salute all those who in spite of financial inducement and promise of political patronage, stood their grounds and voted according to their conscience. Those who did otherwise have only posterity to contend with.

“It is not the case that, the PDP did not offer options but the people made their choices. Therefore, nobody should weep for the PDP, let us reserve our tears for our democracy which is gradually reducing the space for honest labour and elections based on performance instead of stomach infrastructure.”