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Edo Polls: APC Never Engaged In Vote Buying, Says Hon Agbonayinma
Amid allegations by Yiaga Africa, that major political parties engaged in vote buying during the recent Edo State governorship election, an All Progressives Congress (APC) member Hon Eziohuwa Agbonayinma has said such claims never happened.
”If Yiaga is saying APC bought votes, let them prove it. I can tell you there was nothing of such that the APC bought votes, we never needed to buy votes,” Agbonayinma maintained in an interview on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday.
Rather the former House of Reps member asserted that the state’s indigenes were tired and frustrated with the Peoples Democratic Party(PDP) and Governor Godwin Obaseki’s unrealised promises and mismanaged allocations to the state.
”The people were angry they came out en masse to support and vote for the APC because of their anger,” he said.
”President Tinubu ordered the release of a trailer load of rice to cushion the effects of hunger and starvation. Mr Governro stole most of the rice sold at the market. It was not given to the people ”
”Mr President in his goodwill gave over N500bn to the 36 states of the federation, including the FCT, Edo state got over 18bn, ask the governor what he did with the money. The money went to voicemail ”
”$ 35 million to build schools, go and look at our schools, no roof, and children sitting on the floor. That money went to voicemail. Over $ 150 million was meant for erosion control. Come to GRA Mcome to Benin when it rains in 5mins everywhere is river Obaseki or river Asue Ighodalo,” he said.
Hon Agbonayinma insisted that the indigenes of Edo state should be commended for their bravery in sticking to their guns and not voting for the governor’s candidate.
”That is the reason they said we must change anyone Obaseki is bringing and they have done that we must appreciate and applaud our people.,”
When quizzed if the APC will probe allegations of funds being siphoned by the state government, the party member called it ”an understatement”
”That is an understatement, as a matter of fact, APC probing, I think the security agencies, the anti-graft agencies, EFCC, ICPC and the Code of Conduct Bureau”
”Look he has to answer for it… this is not about the APC, it is about the people. Edo state must ask questions.”
They need to come to Edo and see the rot and corruption that has eaten this place dry. That today, Edo state is indebted to the tune of 600bn and has nothing to write home about. The healthcare sector is dead, no roads ”
”How can a governor destroy the only hospital so many years ago where our mothers and fathers came to, especially from the rural areas, he destroyed it”
”The one that the former governor Adams Oshiomhole built, a five-star hospital he gave to a consultant. Our mothers, our fathers and the less privileged cannot afford to go to such as hospital,” he said
Oshiomhole, a former Edo State governor, further emphasised that borrowing for capital projects such as infrastructure is a healthy global practice.
According to him, every past president from former President Olusegun Obasanjo to General Muhammadu Buhari (retd) had at one point approached the international community for loans and aid.
He made the clarification when he was featured as a guest on Sunday’s edition of Channels Television’s Politics Today.
His concerns come barely one month after the President sought the National Assembly’s approval to secure external loans of $21.5 million and ¥15 billion, along with a grant of €65 million, as part of his government’s proposed 2025–2026 external borrowing plan.
Tinubu’s request was contained in a letter read by the Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, during the plenary on May 27.
The letter also included a summary of the funding breakdown, but the content was not made public.
Oshiomhole, however, insisted that there was nothing wrong with the National Assembly approving such loans since every country needs them for developmental projects.
He said, “Once the purpose of borrowing is clear and acceptable, it is patriotic to approve of it. Because this is not the first president to borrow. I would challenge you to name any Nigerian president, from Olusegun Obasanjo to Shehu Musa Yar’Adua, though I’m not too sure about that because he didn’t live enough.
“But Jonathan and Buhari did borrow. Even America is borrowing. The current bill in the United States is going to push US deficit to about31 to $36trn.
“You name the country that doesn’t borrow. For me, borrowing for the right purpose like infrastructure is very healthy.”
In a statement, Onanuga said the President renewed his order in the wake of the latest round of reprisal attacks that led to the death of many people.
Governor Hyacinth Alia on Sunday confirmed the killing of 59 persons at Yelewata, where suspected herdsmen from Nasarawa State attacked the border town.
Addressing journalists at the Government House, Alia said the figures are based on physical headcounts by security agencies working with families of those killed.
In his reaction, Tinubu charged the governor with convening reconciliation meetings and dialogue among the warring parties to end the incessant bloodshed and bring lasting peace and harmonious coexistence between farmers, herders, and communities.
“On the president’s directive, intelligence chiefs, the police and the military have arrived in the state to direct security operations and restore sanity,” Onanuga said.
Describing the killings and bloodletting as inhuman and anti-progress, Tinubu called on political leaders and community leaders in conflict areas to stop fuelling the crisis through unguarded utterances and statements that could further inflame tensions.
“The latest news of wanton killings in Benue State is very depressing. We must not allow this bloodletting to continue unabated. Enough is now enough.
“I have directed the security agencies to act decisively and arrest perpetrators of these evil acts on all sides of the conflict and prosecute them.
“Political and community leaders in Benue State must act responsibly and avoid inflammatory utterances that could further increase tensions and killings.
“This is the time for Governor Alia to act as a statesman and immediately lead the process of dialogue and reconciliation that will bring peace to Benue. Our people must live in peace, and it is possible when leaders across the divides work together in harmony and differences are identified and addressed with fairness, openness and justice,” the President was quoted as saying.
Addressing journalists at the Government House, Alia said the figures are based on physical headcounts by security agencies working with families of those killed.
Among those killed were military and civil defence personnel who fought to defend Yelewata against the attacks.
Governor Alia also gave some credit to his Nasarawa State counterpart, Abdullahi Sule, who shared some intelligence on the killings which also left one woman dead on the Nasarawa axis.
The governor gave the details when he received a report from the panel of inquiry on the militia activities in the Sankera axis and pledged to commit to the appropriate authority and investigate the persons indicated in the report to ensure peace returned to Sankera.
Pope Leo XIV has since condemned the recent killings in Benue, describing the incident as a “terrible massacre” in which mostly displaced civilians were murdered with “extreme cruelty”.
Delivering his remarks before the Sunday Angelus prayer at the Vatican, the pontiff expressed deep concern over the ongoing violence in Nigeria and the suffering of affected communities.
The Pope prayed for “security, justice, and peace” to prevail in the country and offered special intercession for the rural Christian communities in Benue, whom he described as “relentless victims of violence.”
The attack occurred in Yelwata, a border town between Benue and Nasarawa states, where suspected herdsmen reportedly stormed the community late Friday night.
Angry youths on Sunday stormed the Wurukum food basket roundabout to protest the killing. The protesters converged on the Wurukum food basket roundabout in Makurdi as early as 8 am to demand action over the alleged killing on Saturday in Yelwata.
They were later joined by a social media influencer, Martin Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan.
In a statement, presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga said President Bola Tinubu has directed security chiefs to implement his earlier directive to bring lasting peace and security to Benue State.
He said on the president’s directive, intelligence chiefs, the police and the military have arrived in the state to direct security operations and restore sanity.
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