TheCable

Biodun Oyebanji, governor-elect of Ekiti state, says the All Progressives Congress (APC) was not involved in vote-buying in the recently-concluded governorship election.

There were incidents of widespread vote-buying during the election which took place on Saturday.

Speaking with state house correspondents on Monday, Oyebanji said that as far as he is concerned, his party did not buy votes.

Oyebanji said he did not witness the development in the polling unit where he voted in Ikogosi, Ekiti West LGA.

The governor-elect said he won the election based on the performance of the outgoing administration in which he played a prominent role.

The former secretary to the state government (SGF) said he canvased for votes on the strength of the achievements of the Kayode Fayemi administration — and what he has to offer the people going forward.

Oyebanji secured 187,057 votes to defeat his two closest challengers — Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) who polled 82,211 votes, and Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) who got 67,457 votes.

The governor-elect won 15 out of the 16 LGAs in the state.

He was accompanied to the state house by Fayemi, some APC governors, and Abdullahi Adamu, the national chairman of the ruling party.

Also speaking, Adamu said the allegation of vote-buying was raised by elements who were losing at the election.

Despite Adamu’s claim, TheCable reporters observed multiple instances of vote-buying by agents of political parties while monitoring the election.