Labour Party Alleges Vote-Buying, Irregularities in Edo Gubernatorial Loss

• The Labour Party in Edo State claimed irregularities and vote-buying contributed to their loss in the recent governorship election, criticizing the electoral process
• LP candidate Olumide Akpata emphasized the need for electoral reforms to combat vote-buying and create a fair voting environment for citizens

The Labour Party (LP) in Edo State has claimed that irregularities and vote-buying led to its loss in the recent governorship election. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Senator Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner, with 291,667 votes. At the same time, LP candidate Barrister Olumide Akpata came third, securing 22,763 votes.

Kelly Ogbaloi, the state chairman of the Labour Party, criticized the election process, stating, “We would have won, but the election was marred by irregularities, including open vote-buying, which security agencies failed to address.” He expressed his frustration, asking, “What do you expect in a situation where votes were bought and results manipulated?”

While the party has not yet decided whether to challenge the results in court, Ogbaloi said a state council meeting would soon be held to determine the next steps.

Labour Party candidate Olumide Akpata also criticized the election, claiming it was “sold to the highest bidder” and failed to reflect the people’s true will. Akpata called for comprehensive electoral reforms, stressing the importance of leveraging technology to create systems that make vote-buying impossible.

He emphasized the need to tackle the root causes of vote-selling by improving education, creating economic opportunities, and building a society where people are not forced to sell their votes for immediate financial gains. Akpata lamented that the election exposed a political system dominated not by ideologies or the people’s will, but by those with the most money and influence.

Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, also condemned the Edo governorship election, calling it an example of “state capture” that threatens Nigeria’s future. Speaking via X (formerly Twitter), Obi described the election as a flawed process that undermined Nigeria’s democratic values. He stated, “Any nation where the leadership recruitment process is fatally flawed is doomed, and we are all seeing its effects in our country.”

Obi urged those in power not to rely on flawed election processes to remain in office, warning that the society being destroyed today will eventually demand accountability. He also highlighted Nigeria’s investment in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC’s Election Result Viewing Portal (IReV), calling for their proper use to safeguard the electoral process from manipulation.

Obi’s remarks serve as a warning to those undermining democracy, reminding them that their positions of authority are not permanent. “The time for retribution will come,” he added.