Former Ekiti State Governor, Ayodele Fayose has claimed that the Accord Party spent no less than N40 billion during the August 15 Osun State governorship election.

He made the assertion in a video interview, responding to comments by Afrobeats singer Davido.

Davido, the nephew of re-elected Governor Ademola Adeleke, had alleged that the All Progressives Congress spent N110 billion on vote-buying while insisting that the Accord Party relied mainly on popular support rather than money.

Fayose dismissed such claims, saying both leading parties spent heavily.

According to the former governor, the amount spent by the Accord Party alone could not have been less than N40 billion. He further alleged that more than N7.5 billion was distributed to various local governments and wards shortly before the election, with some wards receiving a minimum of about N35 million.

Fayose said both the Accord Party and the APC spent beyond the legal threshold for election expenditure. He questioned the timing of large cash movements that reportedly prompted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission to freeze certain accounts.

The former governor also attributed a significant part of Adeleke’s 66,252-vote margin of victory to the family’s strong political base in Ede. He suggested the APC should challenge the result in court if it had grounds to do so, while noting that President Bola Tinubu could have influenced the outcome but chose not to.

Photo credit: Punch Newspaper