Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Festus Keyamo, has said that reports of voting-buying in the ongoing governorship election in Ekiti State is not solely synonymous to the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
Keyamo’s statement comes on the heels of reports suggesting that the APC was involved in mass vote buying and selling in the ongoing Ekiti polls.
In his statement on Twitter, the minister said the claims are only subtle messages passed across by opposition parties, all in a bid to see that the ruling party loses the election.
“Incidences of vote-buying can’t be synonymous only with the ruling party, but the subtle message the other parties try to pass to the gullible is that only the ruling party engages in illegalities & that the only way an election can be deemed credible is if the ruling party loses,” Keyamo lamented.
The election in Ekiti State has been adjudged peaceful by many, however, there have been pockets of violence and several reports of “money for votes” practices.
Agents of the ruling APC were reportedly arrested by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), for alleged vote-buying.
Parading some of the suspects at the Oke Ori Omi Area Division of the Nigerian Police Force, the suspects were said to have been caught with monies allegedly used to induce voters, an act the EFCC officials say were carried out surreptitiously.
The EFCC thereafter proceeded to burst another residence where some persons were caught with a book containing details of voters of certain voting area.
