By Richard Akintade, Osogbo
As the Governorship election in Osun state draws nearer, the Accord Party State Chairman, Pastor Victor Akande urged the electorate to fight the menace of vote-buying in the coming poll slated for July 16 this year while calling for adequate support of the people to the party.
Akande while answering the statement made by the factional candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Senator Ademola Adeleke while attending the NUJ Correspondent Chapel “News Point Programme” in Osogbo, capital of Osun State, warned that the electorate must be wary of collecting money from candidates before they are voted for.
His words, “It is unfortunate that a candidate of a party, Senator Ademola Adeleke makes such a statement that the election will be fire for fire. We must ensure a peaceful guber poll in Osun State in 2022. The statement he made revealed the state of intellectual capacity.
“The issue of vote-buying that he raised while addressing his supporters is condemnable. The electorate must fight vote-buying while political parties must ensure an end to voter apathy in the coming poll. We must fight the evil of vote-buying. We must understand that governance is not about business but in this, they have turned it to a business. The Accord Party is not going to be involved in vote-buying.”
He said: “Election is not a do or die affair. We must ensure a peaceful guber poll. We must not allow violence during the poll. The statement he made revealed the state of intellectual capacity.
“It is unfortunate that in this country, the politicians use their own money for virtually all the electoral process and when such a person gets to position the first thing that he or she will do is to get the money he spent, even get gain and money to prosecute further elections.
Akande stated that in Europe and the other western world, the politicians play according to rule even though some of their supporters will open an account for candidates to donate money for their campaign.
He disclosed that if the electorate continues to take money from politicians before they get to power things will remain the same.
He also denied the rumour that the candidate of Accord party, Dr Akin Ogunbiyi is being used by the incumbent governor, Adegboyega Oyetola to deplete the influence of PDP in the state.
