Edo election: Labour Party members sold their votes to PDP, APC – Akpata

Labour Party (LP) candidate in the just concluded Edo governorship election, Olumide AkpataOlumide Akpata, has alleged that members of his party sold their votes to his oppositions during the election.

Akpata said this on Wednesday during a interview on Channels Television.

The Labour Party candidate said supporters that promised to vote him during the campaigns stayed in their houses on election day and the few that voted followed the highest bidder.

“Let me tell you something, members of my party sold their votes, it is not a matter of Labour Party, it is the electoral process, the Papa, Mama, Pikin, though we were not sure of the process, but we were surer of the people, but the people decided to go for freshly minted cash, if you think you know the people, then you have to look inwards again, and that is a great lesson for me,” he said.

Akpata with 32 votes lost his polling unit to Asue Ighodalo of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) at polling unit 11, Ward 06, Oredo LGA in Benin City, the capital of Edo.

READ ALSO: Labour Party’s Akpata loses polling unit to PDP

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the candidate of the All Progressives Congress (APC) Monday Okpebholo winner, after receiving 291,667 votes, defeating Ighodalo of the PDP, who garnered 247,274 votes. Akpata finished third with 22,763 votes.

The Labour Party candidate who came a distant third, described the election as a ‘bazaar’, saying his people are ‘captives happy with their captors’.

“Nothing shocks me anymore in Nigeria; there was no election in Edo; what happened there was a transaction; I am not saying LP won the election, but it was a bazaar,” he said.

Apata also blamed the process on the level of poverty and deprivation the people are currently passing through and called for a total overhaul of the electoral process of the country.

“The path to true democracy is often long and fraught with challenges, but it is a journey we must undertake together. Our struggle for good governance, transparency, and accountability continues,” Akpata said.