Ekiti poll: Losers behind vote-buying, says APC chairman, Abdullahi Adamu

The National Chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu, has said those who lost the June 18 governorship election in Ekiti were behind the vote-buying that took place on the day of the election.

APC’s Biodun Oyebanji emerged as the winner of the election by defeating the second-placed Social Democratic Party and the Peoples Democratic Party which came third.

Addressing State House Correspondents when he accompanied Oyebanji to greet President Muhammadu Buhari, Adamu lamented that vote-buying took place during the election.

Adamu said: “As a patriotic Nigerian that is privileged to lead the ruling party in this country today, I want to only appeal to the media.

“Please, don’t partake in portraying negative attitudes in our processes. If you do so, you are compromising. I am sorry to say so. You are compromising the integrity of our process as a country.

“I would’ve preferred if the person who asked that question said, ‘Look, in America, this is what they do in democracy in respect to the subject matter. In the United Kingdom or France, this is what they do. This is what you’re doing differently.’

“And please let us not be too much in the space of speculation.

“I have noticed that over the last maybe four or five general elections in this country, this issue of vote-buying has taken center stage. One can only evidence what he saw, what he did and I am sure his Excellency the governor-elect responded in very good faith.

“Some of you, asking this particular question, didn’t go to Ekiti. You were not there.

“Somebody who is losing the election flew a kite. ‘Oh no, they’re buying votes and all the kind of money they have we don’t have, that is why I am losing,’ and you are helping to market that opinion.

“I am only appealing to you as a fellow Nigerian and somebody who has been in your trade before today. Please, let us help build this country positively.”