I didn’t call Ondo people bastards – Ekungba

Ondo State

One of the governorship aspirants that contested last Saturday’s primary election of the All Progressives Congress in Ondo State, Chief Jamiu Afolabi Ekungba, said there was never a time he called the Ondo people bastards.

Refuting a report that circulated on social media after the election, Ekungba, who got 44 votes, said he never referred to the people of the state as “bastards and ingrates.”

The report claimed that Ekungba was bitter about his loss and therefore regretted that he wasted over N300m on delegates who despite the huge inducements, refused to vote for him.

In a statement released by Ekungba on Tuesday, the politician said, “I never gave any money what-so-ever to any of the 2834 delegates. If I did not part with money, why would I complain?

“I do not have N300m to share. Even if I had, both in all my interviews and at campaigns to the delegates, I made it very clear that I would not induce anybody with money to vote for me. Why would I bribe people to give me a job that would require so much energy to bring back to life, an economy that is almost dead totally?

“I hope you are aware that Ondo State, an oil-producing state despite collecting about N628 bn federal allocation in seven years of this administration, is owing the civil servants eight months’ salaries. I am an accomplished accountant, an experienced banker and administrator and a financial expert.

“I know the state of Ondo economy and what it will take to fix it. I will, therefore, because of the challenges that will accompany the fixing, not bribe my way to offer my people this type of very difficult service.

“The mischievous write-up claimed I stormed out of the venue. The video clips of the primary will show that I was the first to congratulate the winner and was the last with him in the arena.

“I was with him throughout the final announcement, shaking hands with the officials, during his acceptance speech and during his brief press interview. So, after doing all these, how could my coming out be storming out?.