We Didn’t Buy Votes, Ekiti People Supported Us To Win Election – Oyebanji

The governor-elect of Ekiti State, Biodun Oyebanji, has faulted the allegation of vote-buying against the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the just concluded governorship election in the state.

He stressed that neither he nor the ruling party was involved in vote-buying as alleged, saying they canvassed for votes from the electorate which led to their victory at the poll.

Oyebanji stated this on Monday while briefing State House correspondents shortly after he met with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He insisted that he did not witness any vote-buying in the polling unit where he voted, adding that he won the poll based on his previous performance as the Secretary to the State Government (SSG) in the state.

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The APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, who accompanied the governor-elect alongside some governors to meet with the President, also reacted to the allegation against the ruling party.

He affirmed that the allegation of vote-buying was being sponsored by aggrieved persons who lost at the poll.

Apart from Adamu, Oyebanji was also accompanied by Governor Kayode Fayemi of Ekiti State, Governor Atiku Bagudu of Kebbi State, and Governor Abubakar Badaru of Jigawa State.

The Chief of Staff to the President, Professor Ibrahim Gambari; Minister of Industry, Trade and Investment, Niyi Adebayo; and Senior Special Assistant to the President (Domestic), Sarki Abba, also attended the meeting with the President.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had declared Oyebanji, the APC candidate as the winner of the keenly contested election it conducted on Saturday.

Oyebanji polled 187,057 votes – over 100,000 votes more than that of his closest rival, Segun Oni of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), who scored 82,211 votes in the election.

Mr Bisi Kolawole of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) came third in the poll with 67,457 votes.

Following the declaration, there were allegations that the election was marred with irregularities, including the hiring of hoodlums for vote-buying and snatching of ballot boxes allegedly by the APC – claims which the ruling party swiftly denied.