The National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress, APC, Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, has waved aside claims in some quarters that the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party, SDP, Iyiola Omisore, was bribed to support the ruling party in the just-concluded governorship election in Osun State.
He said Omisore was only assured by the APC that some of SDP’s manifesto will be implemented by the ruling party.
Oshiomhole said this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja where he declared the conduct of the election as “substantially” free and fair.
Explaining further, the former Edo State Governor said he used the word ‘substantial’ due to “the incidences that forced the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to cancel the first round of elections in seven polling units.”
The former Nigerian Labour Congress, NLC boss said “INEC declared the APC candidate winner based on their independent assessment of facts of the election.”
Oshiomhole dismissed concerns that the electoral umpire might have come under undue influence from the APC-led federal government.
He added that “Omisore was never bribed to get his support for the rerun.
“Omisore only extracted a firm commitment from the ruling party that it would implement some policy issues in the SDP manifesto.” (DP)