Amid allegations from Yiaga Africa claiming that major political parties engaged in vote buying during the recent Edo State governorship election, All Progressives Congress (APC) member Hon. Eziohuwa Agbonayinma has firmly denied such claims.

“If Yiaga is saying APC bought votes, let them prove it. I can tell you there was nothing of such that the APC bought votes; we never needed to buy votes,” Agbonayinma maintained in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.

The former House of Reps member asserted that the state’s indigenes were frustrated with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Governor Godwin Obaseki’s unrealised promises and mismanaged allocations to the state.

“The people were angry; they came out en masse to support and vote for the APC because of their anger,” he said.

Agbonayinma said that the federal government, led by President Bola Tinubu, attempted to address hunger issues by releasing a trailer load of rice. He accused the governor of misappropriating these resources.

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“Mr. Governor stole most of the rice sold at the market. It was not given to the people. Mr. President in his goodwill gave over N500bn to the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT; Edo State got over 18bn. Ask the governor what he did with the money. The money went to voicemail,” he stated.

He also criticized the handling of funds intended for educational and infrastructure development.

“$35 million to build schools, go and look at our schools, no roof, and children sitting on the floor. That money went to voicemail. Over $150 million was meant for erosion control. Come to GRA, come to Benin; when it rains in 5 minutes, everywhere is river Obaseki or river Asue Ighodalo,” he added.

Hon. Agbonayinma insisted that the indigenes of Edo State should be commended for their bravery in rejecting the governor’s candidate. “That is the reason they said we must change anyone Obaseki is bringing, and they have done that; we must appreciate and applaud our people”

In response to inquiries about potential investigations into allegations of financial misconduct by the state government, Agbonayinma described the issue as “an understatement.” He called for the intervention of security and anti-graft agencies, including the EFCC, ICPC, and the Code of Conduct Bureau, asserting, “He has to answer for it… this is not about the APC; it is about the people. Edo State must ask questions.”

Agbonayinma criticized the current administration, noting the dire state of the region’s infrastructure and public services. “Edo State is indebted to the tune of 600 billion naira and has nothing to show for it. The healthcare sector is dead, and roads are in disrepair,” he lamented.

Meanwhile, a coalition of Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) known as the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (NCSSR) has reported significant instances of voter inducement during the Edo State governorship election.

Their observations indicated widespread vote buying, even in the presence of numerous security personnel.

In a statement co-signed by key members, the group revealed that voters were offered between N5,000 and N10,000 to cast their ballots in various polling units across the state.

The NCSSR’s findings highlighted specific polling units in Owan-East, Etsako-West, Egor, Oredo, and Owan-West LGAs, where the practice was particularly prevalent. The coalition included organizations such as the Emma Ezeazu Centre for Good Governance and Accountability and the Women’s Rights to Education Programme, among others, all of whom are calling for transparency and accountability in the electoral process.