- Ayodele Fayose claims Accord Party spent at least N40bn during the August 15 Osun governorship election.
- The former Ekiti governor alleges more than N7.5bn was distributed to local governments and wards shortly before the poll.
- Fayose says both Accord and APC exceeded the legal spending limit and urges the APC to challenge the election result in court.
Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose, has claimed that the Accord Party spent at least N40bn during the August 15 Osun State governorship election.
Eko Hot Blog reports that Fayose made the allegation in a video interview with TVC journalist, Nifemi Oguntoye, shared on the journalist’s X account on Wednesday.
EDITOR’S PICK
- How Lagos Achieved 57.4% Exclusive Breastfeeding Rate
- Shaibu Lists Nigeria’s Biggest Security Challenges
- Vote, Protect Your Mandate, Governor Adeleke Urges Residents Ahead of August 15 Polls.
His comments came in response to Afrobeats singer David Adeleke, popularly known as Davido, who had alleged that the All Progressives Congress spent about N110bn on vote-buying during the election.
Davido, who is the nephew of Osun State Governor and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, had also claimed that his uncle’s party did not spend money to secure victory but relied on the support of the people.
Fayose disputed the claim, saying both major parties spent heavily during the election.
According to him, Accord Party’s expenditure during the poll could not have been less than N40bn.
“Accord Party led the opponents. The money that went to that election from the Accord Party itself cannot be under N40bn. I stand to be corrected,” Fayose said.
He further alleged that more than N7.5bn was distributed to various local governments and wards shortly before the election.
Fayose claimed that some wards received a minimum of about N35m, adding that the distribution was allegedly made on the Monday preceding the election.
He, however, did not provide evidence to support the figures.
The former governor maintained that both Accord and APC spent beyond the legally permitted threshold for election campaigns.
“The fact remains that both parties spent stupendously. They spent beyond the threshold like every other political party,” he said.
Fayose also questioned the timing of financial transfers allegedly made shortly before the election, referring to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission’s decision to freeze some accounts.
He argued that funds intended for voters should have been distributed much earlier rather than shortly before the election.
The Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, won the election with 511,067 votes, defeating APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
Adeleke won by a margin of 66,252 votes.
Fayose attributed a significant portion of the margin to Adeleke’s political strength in Ede, the Adeleke family’s hometown.
He argued that the APC’s choice of candidate was not the only factor responsible for its defeat, saying the party could not overcome the Adeleke family’s strong political base in the area.
Fayose said the APC should consider challenging the election result in court if it believed there were grounds to contest the figures.
“I think they should go to court,” he said.
He also expressed doubts about the votes recorded in Ede, saying he believed the figures should be scrutinised.
On President Bola Tinubu’s role in the election, Fayose maintained that the President could have influenced the outcome in favour of the APC if he had chosen to do so.
He described Tinubu as “magnanimous” in his handling of the Osun election, contrasting it with his experience during the 2018 Ekiti governorship election.
Fayose also rejected suggestions that the Osun election result had significantly strengthened the opposition ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to him, the opposition’s failure to unite remains a major obstacle to its prospects.
“The only thing that can give them hope has passed, which is they are coming together. They have failed to come together, and they cannot retrieve that back. That is certain,” he said.
FURTHER READING
