Labour Party candidate at the 2024 Edo State governorship election, Olumide Osaigbovo Akpata has said that the election was a transaction by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) that bought the votes of Edo people rather than engaging in free and fair election practices.
Akpata, in a press statement released on Monday, denounced the Edo election as a transaction, accusing APC and PDP of widespread vote-buying and intimidation, and laments voter apathy, and what he perceives as a flawed electoral process.
He described the election, held on 21 September 2024, as being compromised by voter intimidation and falsification of results, while also pointing to one of the lowest voter turnouts in recent years.
His words: “This disengagement ultimately contributed to the worst-case scenario we now face. What transpired on 21 September 2024 was not an election but a transaction,” Akpata stated, highlighting that both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) engaged in widespread vote-buying.
Citing the civil society organization YIAGA Africa, he said that the election had been reduced to a “commodities market” where voters were auctioned off to the highest bidder.
“What transpired on 21 September 2024 was not an election but a transaction. To those who sold their votes: We extend our understanding, not condemnation. We acknowledge the crushing economic hardships that many of you face daily—hardships that make the immediate relief of vote-selling seem like a lifeline. Yet, this short-term gain comes at an immense long-term cost,” he said.
“We did not budget to compete with the two political parties whose Governors perhaps may have dipped their hands into their States’ treasuries to provide the war chest for this show of shame. Even if we had the resources, we lacked the inclination to participate in such a perversion of democracy.
“If I were so inclined, I could have easily mustered enough cash to secure enough votes to win my polling unit. But that is not the path we chose. We reserve our strongest condemnation for those who engaged in vote-buying: the APC and PDP. Their actions have directly contributed to the destruction of our State’s economy over the past 25 years.
“This election has laid bare the stark reality that our political landscape is dominated not by ideologies or the people’s will, but by those with the deepest pockets and the most extensive networks of influence.
“Let this moment serve not as a defeat, but as a rallying cry for all who believe in the promise of democracy. The power to shape our future lies not just in the ballot box, but in our daily commitment to the values of integrity, transparency, and public service,” he added.
