By Roundoffnews
The Governorship candidate of the Africa Democratic Congress ADC in the just concluded election, Dr. Wole Oluyede has alleged that the exercise was characterized with irregularities.
Though Oluyede said he would not challenge the exercise, he alleged that key stakeholders in the election including INEC and Security agents compromised but both organizations faulted the claim.
Addressing newsmen in Ikere Ekiti, Oluyede alleged that money were shared in the open to induce electorate without any check by INEC officials and security agents.
Oluyede said:”I believe the person Ekiti deserves is who they voted for but certainly the best candidate was not the winner because the election was procured with money.
“Everybody involved in the election were compromised, the INEC inclusive. If anybody said INEC did a good job, it is either that things are so bad that we can’t recognize what is good.
It was so evident that they favoured a particular party above the others, party agents of that particular party are the ones INEC asked questions. Areas that belong to opposition parties are the places where things are difficult, my polling unit for Instance, nothing worked until about 11am.
” In my hometown, people were going out with government vehicles with security agents to arrest and openly give out bribes, is that a free and fair election? So, security people were compromised, INEC itself was compromised.
Speaking on the role of electorate who collected money and voted against their conscience, Oluyede said Ekiti people were not “raped”.
According to him, it was a consensual agreement, Ekiti people cannot say the government forced anything on them, the funny thing is that until thursday before the election, people were complaining about the APC government but then they woke up on Saturday and everyone was voting for Dibo ko sebe (vote for money).
“Then a few people came to my house and started accusing me of not bringing money and asking if the people i gave money didn’t bring the money out. Yes, I gave the instruction that nobody should distribute money. I did not and will not buy the vote of an Ekiti person. I am possibly the only person that has spent money from his own personal fortunes for the past 8 years, I deliberately did not sort money from anybody, if anybody gave me money, they will be my personal friends.
“This government whatever the outcome it was not forced on the Ekiti people, it was their choice which they made based on how much money they will get”
“Personally, I learnt a new lesson from the Ekiti people and if I had known, I would not have become a politician, I became a politician because I felt the Ekiti people would be upright and make a good choice irrespective of the situation, but I found out that the Ekiti people have actually owned poverty, because we are poor, anybody that brings money has our vote, so, they are happy with it.
“Every community I visited they complained of how government presence is not there even in the state capital, they claimed that theey are making efforts as a community to do things themselves, and as a person who believe in charity, I help them.
Oluyede expressed disappointment in Ekiti people who voted based on money while he equally felt embarrassed by the attitude of people of his home town Ikere Ekiti who failed to support their own son despite the fact that they called him to contest the seat so as to enable the town produce a governor.
He added “I really don’t think Ikere can get any political office. Ifaki voted their son, Ikogosi did too, its only Ikere that didn’t vote their own
“I am really worried on how things will go but so far that I am not a politician anymore, I don’t think it is my business. I ran for governorship because of the way the south has been cheated out of power and when I returned in December, the people of Ikere put so much pressure on me saying it is our time to do it and I decided to run for Ikere sake, on that day, they were over 2,000 people in my house.
Speaking on 2023 Oluyede said he was yet to decide on what to do but said he has so much respect for Asiwaju Tinubu and believed that he was the best for the job in APC before he left the party.
” Yes, I supported Tinubu because I believe when I was in the APC, he probably would be the best person to rule because of what he did for Lagos State which no other governor has done in the state.
He denied the allegation that he got money from Tinubu during election saying that was the imagination of those in such habit.
When I started going into politics, I realized that Lagos people has no respect for Ekiti politicians and i found out that it is because every politician in Ekiti runs to Lagos not for support but to ask for money.
I have never taken a dime from Bola Ahmed Tinubu, not because I am richer than him but because I chose not to.
“I have not taken any kobo from him, not before or after the election. A lot of people came to my house on Sunday accusing me of collecting money from Tinubu and not distributing it, that’s stupid, it doesn’t make any sense and that is the problem of the Ekiti people, they still believe you have to take money to do something.
He said he would not contest the governorship seat anymore having lost confidence in the system rather he would continue with his charitable life style to support vulnerable persons.