In a statement issued in Abuja by its National Publicity Secretary, Felix Morka, the party claimed Nigerians were not deceived by the PDP’s claim to be on a rescue mission in the nation.
In an interview with The PUNCH, PDP spokesperson Debo Ologunagba replied to Morka’s comments by saying the APC heavily persuaded the electorate whom it had pauperised.
However, in a statement issued on Sunday, PDP governorship candidate Bisi Kolawole congratulated APC standard-bearer Biodun Oyebanji on his victory, encouraging him to take immediate steps to address the situation of the people.
Also on Sunday, the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.), the APC National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the Progressive Governors’ Forum hailed the election of Oyebanji.
According to the result announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission on Sunday, Oyebanji won 15 out of 16 local government areas in the state, while Kolawole emerged victorious in the Efon Local Government Area.
Oyebanji scored 187,057 votes to defeat the Social Democratic Party’s candidate, Olusegun Oni, who came second with 82,211 votes, while Kolawole, who came third, polled 67,457 votes.
The APC spokesman, Morka, in his statement, berated the PDP. He stated, “Unsurprisingly, the opposition Peoples Democratic Party finished a distant third position in the just-concluded election. Despite its claim to a self-serving and self-assigned rescue mission for Nigeria, the people of Ekiti State and, by extension, Nigerians are not, in any way, deceived by the ceaseless propaganda of a desperate party that only seeks a return to power to continue its ruinous escapades.
“Without a doubt, the well-deserved victory in Ekiti State is an eloquent testimony of the acceptance of our party under the visionary leadership of President Muhammadu Buhari, the sagacity of our National Chairman, Senator Abdullahi Adamu, and the uncommon commitment of other members of the National Working Committee of our great party.”
Poverty: APC ”Weapon Of Mass Destruction’ – Ologunagba
“I won’t react to the comment from APC but we are still reviewing the outcome of the Ekiti election. As a party, the PDP doesn’t react, we respond. The election in Ekiti is not a true reflection of what took place. It was a purging. That is the challenge we have about the electoral system.
“The APC has weaponized poverty and turned it into a weapon of mass destruction. What do you expect? Nigerians know the truth and must liberate themselves. In liberating ourselves, there are sacrifices to make. It must also include the willingness and capacity to say ‘No’ rather banishing oneself to a generational servitude.
“We all know what happened in the election. The outcome of that election is not the will of the people. It is a will induced by poverty. We saw the report everywhere in the media that about N10,000 were being paid for a vote. The report is there in the public domain. Some voters were spotted dancing in queues and displaying the N5,000 that they received. It shows the electoral system in our country has been bastardised by the APC. From ruining the economy, they have gone as far as disrupting the electoral system without shame. They have succeeded in weaponising poverty as an act of the policy of the government.”
“They have succeeded in turning poverty into a weapon of mass destruction, the capacity of people to make an informed and rational decision becomes difficult. That was what went down in that election.
“That’s the preliminary report we got. The APC has pauperised people and promoted disunity as an act of governance by the infamous statement by the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.).”
