By Kolawole Ojebisi
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Ondo State Collation Agent, Olaniyi Ogungbuji, has advanced supposed reasons for the dismal performance of his party in the just concluded governorship election in Ondo State.
Ogungbuji said the All Progressives Congress(APC) was able to reach out to voters and other influential personalities involved in the electoral process, a move he said culminated in the victory of the party’s candidate, Lucky Ayedatiwa.
He spoke shortly after the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared the APC candidate, Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, winner of the Saturday’s governorship election at the INEC headquarters in Akure.
Aiyedatiwa polled 366,781 votes to defeat his major rival and the PDP candidate, Agboola Ajayi, who came distant second with 117,845 votes, while African Democratic Party’s Adeyemi Nejo came third with 4,138.
The PDP agent expressed worry that the election didn’t take place at some polling units at Idanre LG but his position was discarded at the collation centre.
Ogungbuji hinted that the party’s candidate, Agboola Ajayi and the party would decide on the next line of action in the coming days.
“I will report back to him (Ajayi) and the party as well, they will take the next appropriate action in the next few days,” he said.
But the APC state agent, Ade Adeogun, dismissed the allegation of vote buying, describing it as flippant excuses.
“You need to understand that throughout this electioneering period, we even complained that Ondo State was over policed.
“So, if they had any genuine evidence, which is why I mentioned cogent and verifiable reasons, they would have reported to the security agencies and those persons involved in votes buying or any inducement would have been arrested.
“Without evidence, you can’t just go around and make flippant excuses. They lost an election. They lost woefully and they’re looking for a straw to hold onto.”
He said the opposition party should be allowed to ‘weep’ over the defeat, saying the party has a right to do so.
Adeogun said, “It’s an allegation and when you go to court, he who alleges must prove. For you to prove, you must present cogent and verifiable reasons.
“If you have 10 political parties contesting and only one is complaining, you would understand that it’s a pain of loss that they’re still experiencing and we must give them that right to weep.
“If a child has failed an examination, he is allowed to weep. Let’s give them time to absorb the defeat and then probably accept the fact that they lost because they didn’t deserve to win.”
