The Labour Party (LP), governorship candidate in Bayelsa State, Udengs Eradiri, has berated Saturday’s election in the state alleging that it was marred by massive vote buying.
Eradiri described the level of vote buying as ‘overwhelming.’
Eradiri, who spoke at Agudama-Ekpetiama, Yenagoa Local Government Area, claimed that he was even approached to step down, but he turned down the offer.
He said he was particularly disappointed about the open cases of vote buying, because his campaign was partly devoted to educating the people not to sell their votes.
‘I had thought my messages against money politics would have been tracking with the people, but I was wrong. I am deeply disappointed, I was wrong.
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‘My greatest disappointment was with a woman from this community whom I offered scholarship to her son, but today sold her vote for ₦14,000,’ he added.
The LP governorship candidate regretted that the electorates seemed to have opted for money instead of voting for the right candidate.
‘We have a long way to go in stopping money politics in this country.
‘I thought I had found a solution but I was wrong. I did not come into this race to buy votes,’ Eradiri said.
According to him, votes were freely traded for between ₦12,000 and ₦40,000 per vote.
In another report, the governorship candidate of the Action Alliance in the ongoing gubernatorial elections in Kogi State, Olayinka Braimoh, has been arrested.
His media aide, Musa Yakubu, who confirmed the arrest to journalists, said his principal was arrested by security operatives in Kabba.
Musa revealed that the candidate and seven of his security details were nabbed after campaign materials were allegedly found in his car.
Braimoh’s media aide had earlier raised the alarm over the AA candidate’s whereabouts.