Anambra Poll: I Lost Because I Refused To Pay For Votes – Chidoka 

Osita Chidoka, the candidate of United Progressives Party (UPP)  in Saturday’s governorship election in Anambra State, has reacted to the results of which Willie Obiano, candidate of All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA)  the incumbent Governor, was declared the winner, saying he lost the poll to the highest bidder.

Mr. Obiano won in all the 21 local government areas of the state with a total of about 234,071 votes. He was followed by the candidate of All Progressives Congress, APC, Tony Nwoye. Oseloka Obaze of the People’s Democratic Party, PDP, emerged third while Osita Chidoka of United Progressives Party, UPP, came a distant fourth.

Chidoka in a statement Sunday said  he would have won if he had succumbed to the demand of voters to pay for their votes, a demand which he vehemently rejected. According to Chidoka, for Obiano to have won the election, it was an indication that he had induced the voters with money.

Chidoka said: “Our campaign attracted the finest and brightest of Anambra. The bold and the courageous were with us as we exerted our best in running the most robust issue-based and technology-driven campaign in the history of our dear state.

“We attempted to change the course of events and chart a new beginning for our state. We believed and we dared; we engaged with all patriotic vigour as we held strongly that the long awaited time for our people to experience a new opportunity had come and we labored for it.

“In all, our focus was the people; the forgotten, the poor and the disadvantaged. They were the prime impetus for our involvement. We beheld their agony and we strived to redirect and vent that energy through a genuine political process. We heard the complaints of our people and we worked to redirect them from the streets to the ballot box.

“Upon that pedestal, we rejected god-fatherism and money politics. Instead, we made personal sacrifices and worked with small donations and goodwill of a few good men and women. Our campaign started and remained issues-based. We attacked no persons; we looked up in faith because we believed.

“But from the ballots, we heard the voice of our people. We heard it loud and clear. On November 18 our people announced strongly their rejection of politicians. They traded their votes because they doubted we would truly represent their interest. While our message resonated with the people they doubted that the political class cared about them. They voted for the highest bidder.

“When by Thursday a large percentage of our supporters insisted that they will not vote unless we paid, I insisted we will not pay for votes. The decision not to pay ended our good run. We accept the voters’ decision. We also heard our people, by their turnout and transactional approach, as they took sides with our Party’s considered view that the issue of justice, equity and fairness should be canvassed within Nigeria.

“In all, we hold our heads high; high because we did not lose the poll due to paucity of ideas or lack of “structure”. We lost to superior financial firepower. As Democrats, we concede to the voters’ choices. The true hallmark of democracy is the respect for the voice of the ballot as that of the majority,” he said.