African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate Myson Nejo has criticized the conduct of the 2024 Ondo State governorship election, attributing his loss to widespread vote-buying.
In an interview with journalists on Sunday, Nejo expressed disappointment over the unethical practices that marred the election but maintained pride in his principled stance against vote trading.
Reflecting on the outcome, Nejo said, “The reaction of the people? I thank the good people of Ondo State for voting for me without giving them any money, and they still voted for me. I want to believe that my vote is valid because there was nothing like vote-buying or any unethical practices on my side. So far, I want to believe I’m a winner in this election.”
Nejo highlighted the prevalence of vote-buying during the election, alleging that votes were being sold for between ₦10,000 and ₦20,000 in various polling units. He criticized this practice, describing it as a troubling development in Nigeria’s electoral system.
“People were buying votes for ₦20,000 or ₦15,000, and in my polling unit, it was ₦10,000 to ₦15,000,” Nejo explained. “Because I didn’t have money and I told them I wasn’t going to give even a kobo to buy votes, I ended up with only two votes in my unit and about 40 votes in total, but I don’t care. People were calling me, asking for money in exchange for their votes, but I stood my ground. If they want to vote, they should vote. I wasn’t going to give a kobo to buy votes.”
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Despite his dissatisfaction with the election process, Nejo expressed a sense of fulfillment for participating without compromising his values.
The State Returning Officer, Prof. Olayemi Akinwumi, announced the official results on Sunday at the State Collation Centre in Akure. Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was declared the winner, securing 366,781 votes and defeating his closest rival, Ajayi Agboola of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who garnered 117,845 votes.
Aiyedatiwa achieved a decisive victory, winning in all 18 Local Government Areas of the state.
While Nejo’s candidacy did not yield significant electoral success, he insisted that his approach represented a step toward integrity in Nigerian politics. “I may not have won the election, but I am satisfied with the path I chose,” he said.
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