The candidate representing the African Democratic Congress, Myson Nejo, has criticized the manner in which the recently held Ondo State governorship election was conducted, alleging that vote trading was prevalent during the process.
Nejo stated that his defeat in the election was due to his refusal to engage in vote-buying.
In a telephone interview on Sunday, Nejo expressed his contentment despite losing, appreciating the voters of Ondo State for supporting him without requiring any financial incentives. He emphasized that he considers himself a winner as he did not participate in any unethical practices such as vote-buying.
Regarding the issue of vote buying, Nejo disclosed that votes were being exchanged for sums as high as N20,000, expressing concern over this trend.
He recounted instances of offers ranging from N10,000 to N15,000 in his polling unit, resulting in minimal votes for him as he refused to partake in such practices. Despite the pressure he faced to buy votes, Nejo stood firm and did not engage in any form of monetary exchange for votes.
Prof Olayemi Akinwumi, the State Returning Officer, announced the final election results at the State Collation Centre in Akure, declaring Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa as the winner with 366,781 votes, surpassing his closest rival, Ajayi Agboola of the Peoples Democratic Party, who garnered 117,845 votes.
Aiyedatiwa was declared the elected Governor of Ondo State after securing victory in all 18 Local Government Areas of the state.