Ondo bye-election: I shared N234m across polling units yet lost, PDP candidate refutes poor funding claim

The People’s Democratic Party, PDP, candidate in February 26 Akure South/North Federal Constituency bye-election, Olumuyiwa Adu, said he shared over N234m for voters across the 753 polling units in the constituency.

In a statement signed by Olakunle Alade-Fayehun for his media team, the PDP candidate said despite losing, he was the candidate who has spent the highest in the history of the federal constituency.

Adu lost the House of Representatives election to the candidate of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Mayokun Lawson Alade who polled 26,379 votes to Adu’s 24,201 votes.

In what seemed like admitting to vote buying, Adu said he released between N311,000 and N320,000 for each of the 753 polling units in the federal constituency.

He further said those accusing him of not spending enough money were wrong because he outspent the APC, candidate, who only “released N200,000 to each polling unit”.

“The attention of the Media Team of Barrister Olumuyiwa Adu Campaign Council has been drawn to rumour making it round that the People’s Democratic Party’s candidate in the last Akure Federal Constituency bye-election, Barrister Olumuyiwa Adu, lost the election because of lack of funds.

“We want to state it clearly that our candidate, Barrister Olumuyiwa Adu, released enough funds for logistics to all the Polling Units across the whole twenty three Council Wards,For record purpose, between N311,000 and N320,000 was released to each Polling Units for the election while our major challenger, Mayokun Lawson of All Progressive Congress released N200,000 to each Polling Unit.

“To set the record straight, our party, PDP, was facing a sitting president, a sitting governor and a sitting minister who brought thugs from different Northern states during the election so our candidate didn’t lose because of inadequate funding.

“Recall that no candidate in the history of all elections in Akure North and South had ever released such huge funds which Barrister Olumuyiwa Adu made available for the last election.

We however implore our leaders, members and supporters to shun the lie going round to smear the image of Barrister Olumuyiwa Adu. Rather, we should be praising the candidate for losing to the federal might with less than 2,000 votes. We should also be praising Barrister Adu for releasing the largest funds in the history of Akure Federal Constituency elections,” part of the statement read.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had at different occasion, threatened to prosecute anyone involved in vote buying.