The opposition Peoples Democratic Occasion in Ondo State, on Wednesday, alleged that Governor Fortunate Aiyedatiwa, took N20bn from the state treasury to fund his marketing campaign for final Saturday’s governorship election within the state.
However in a swift response, the ruling get together refuted the declare, describing it as false and baseless.
In an interview with The PUNCH on Wednesday, Director Basic of the PDP Marketing campaign Council, Dr Eddy Olafeso, claimed that Aiyedatiwa took N20bn from the state coffers and allegedly used it to purchase votes, inducing voters with N10,000 every.
However the Director of Media and Publicity for the ruling All Progressives Congress in Ondo, Steve Otaloro, rubbished the declare, describing it as a fallacy.
Reflecting on why the PDP misplaced the Saturday election to the APC, Olafeso stated, “It was cash politics. It was vote-buying that assumed a brand new dimension, that’s unprecedented, that any person will lay on-line nearly N20bn of state cash for an election, other than the criminality and the distortion that it will possibly result in, the folks have been fully very pauperised.
“It’s apparent now that they’re utilizing poverty as a weapon for election manipulations and that’s precisely what transpired right here in Ondo State. The criminality concerned is precisely what we’re investigating.
“The truth is how will you be sensible to the purpose of, as a member of the opposition, rake in nearly N20bn for an election and you understand it runs opposite to the entire electoral course of? We didn’t distribute cash for folks to vote for us.
“Forty-eight hours to this election, if you’re a resident in Ondo State, you understand whom the folks wished to vote for till the cash affect and, on this excessive poverty, N10,000 means lots, a world to so many individuals.”
However reacting to the allegation, the Ondo APC spokesman, Otaloro stated the get together was open to scrutiny of the supply of its marketing campaign funds.
Otaloro stated, “All these allegations are false and deceptive. The funding for our marketing campaign was clear and in step with electoral laws. We didn’t use any authorities funds for our marketing campaign, and we’re assured that our monetary data will face up to any scrutiny.
“Our marketing campaign was funded via a mixture of donations from get together members, supporters, and well-wishers, in addition to fundraising occasions and actions. We additionally obtained funding from our get together’s nationwide headquarters, which is permissible below the Electoral Act.
“We’re dedicated to transparency and accountability in our marketing campaign financing, and we’re prepared to cooperate with any investigation or inquiry into our monetary data.”