Edo Governorship Polls Were a ‘Transaction,’ Not an Election – Olumide Akpata

The Labour Party’s (LP) candidate in the Edo State governorship election, Olumide Akpata, has dismissed the September 21 polls as a sham, claiming it cannot be considered a legitimate election.

Akpata, who finished third in the results declared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), admitted he is not contesting the outcome but stressed that votes were openly bought by the leading political parties.

During an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday, Akpata accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) of massive vote-buying, saying that both parties engaged in large-scale transactions with voters, including Labour Party members.

“I’m not claiming we won, but there was no election; it was a transaction. Around 300,000 votes, by our estimate, were purchased by both parties, which could easily sway the result of any election,” Akpata stated.

He expressed disappointment in the integrity of the voting process, adding that it is impossible to determine a legitimate winner under such circumstances.