The Social Democratic Party (SDP) presidential candidate in the 2023 election, Prince Adewole Adebayo decried the level of vote buying that characterised last Saturday’s governorship election in Ondo State, saying it was a case of a willing seller meeting a willing buyer.
But a former minister of Defence, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode SAN described the outcome of the last Saturday governorship election in Ondo State as a “true reflection of people’s will.’’
Reacting to events surrounding the election on his official X handle, @Pres_Adebayo, the former presidential candidate took a swipe at the APC, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the security agencies, particularly the police, for their roles in what he alleged was electoral fraud.
He said: “The Ondo State governorship election of yesterday is what criminologists would term as victimless crimes: a spectacle of willing buyers @OfficialAPCNg meeting willing sellers in a perfect market that should be an example for @cenbank in the foreign exchange markets.
“Ondo auction is smoother than the Dutch auction. Four years sold so freely and openly that no one should lie that they were coerced or intimidated or browbeaten.
“And @PoliceNG and @inecnigeria, @AIT_Online, @ARISEtv, @KAFTAN_TV, @channelstv, @NTANewsNow, all witnessed it live.”
He noted that the vote buying was so open that journalists do not need to interview anybody to confirm what transpired.
“No one should pretend that they need someone to interview over this. It is in order to congratulate the buyers on their purchased ‘victory’ while shedding some tears for the sellers with the calvary elegy, ‘Father forgive them for they knoweth not what they do.’ God Bless Nigeria and may God guide Ondo State,” he submitted.
But Kayode, who congratulated Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa on his victory at the poll, described his winning as a good omen for the people of the state.
In a statement personally issued and signed by the former attorney general of the federation, assured the people of the state that there would be tremendous development in all sectors.
He said, “I also want to commend INEC as well as the security agencies for efficient implementation of the constitutional guidelines in the conduct of the election”.
While also congratulating the people of the state for voting for Governor Aiyedatiwa, Kayode said “The outcome of the election is a true reflection of the people’s will and it validated the acceptability of Governor Aiyedatiwa.”
He noted that the people of the state have chosen right by voting for Aiyedatiwa, who he described as a round peg in a round hole.
“Expect the new Governor to put in place a Master Plan for the expeditious development of the state. This will be in addition to a more impactful infrastructure development support from the Federal government.
“All true patriots must align with and support the Lucky Governor in this new enterprise”, he stated
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