Myson Nejo, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate in the recently concluded Ondo State governorship election, has condemned the conduct of the poll, alleging widespread vote-buying and claiming that his loss stemmed from his refusal to engage in such practices.
In an interview with Punch on Sunday, Nejo described how voters in the election were allegedly offered as much as N20,000 in exchange for their ballots, highlighting what he called a troubling trend in the electoral process. He further explained that while he refused to partake in vote-buying, he ultimately secured only two votes from his polling unit and about 40 votes in total.
“People were buying votes for N20,000 or N15,000, and in my polling unit, it was N10,000 to N15,000,” Nejo said. He attributed his poor showing in the election to his refusal to bribe voters, saying, “Because I didn’t have money and I told them I wasn’t going to give even a kobo to buy votes, I ended up with only two votes in my unit and about 40 votes in total. But I don’t care.”
Nejo expressed gratitude toward those who supported him despite the absence of financial incentives. “I thank the good people of Ondo State for voting for me without giving them any money, and they still voted for me,” he said. “I want to believe that my vote is valid because there was nothing like vote-buying or any unethical practices on my side. So far, I want to believe I’m a winner in this election.”
The official results, announced by the State Returning Officer, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, saw Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) emerging victorious with 366,781 votes, securing a re-election in a race where he defeated his closest rival, Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes. Aiyedatiwa clinched victory in all 18 local government areas in Ondo State.
Nejo, who finished far behind, continued to decry what he described as a deeply flawed electoral process, adding, “People were calling me, asking for money in exchange for their votes, but I stood my ground. If they want to vote, they should vote. I wasn’t going to give a kobo to buy votes.”
