Bribery Allegation: Kwara PDP spokesperson apologises to Gov, REC

The publicity secretary of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara State, ‘Tunji Moronfoye, has apologised to Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, and the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Garba Madami, over his allegation that the governor bribed the election body in the state.

In a statement he personally signed, Mr Moronfoye said he regretted his action.

The opposition party spokesperson apologised after Mr Madami issued him an ultimatum to do so on Monday.

Mr Madami had in a statement asked Mr Moronfiye to apologise within 48 hours or face legal action.

He said the allegation that Governor AbdulRazaq gave him money was defamation and assassination of his character and integrity.

The head of INEC in the state said his integrity had been put to test by the unfounded and baseless accusation.

Mr Moronfoye had accused Mr Madami of promising to sell victory to the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state out of alleged hatred for a former senate president, Bukola Saraki, who is the leader of the opposition party in the state.

He alleged that N300 million “changed hands” during a meeting between the governor and the electoral commissioner.

Mr Moronfoye also alleged that the REC brought voter registration machines from Niger State to assist Mr Abdurrazaq and the APC to load the voters’ roll.

But in a statement on Tuesday, Mr Moronfoye said his earlier statement that the APC administration had bought victory from INEC in the state was “misleading and unsubstantiated”

“The statement was in fact misleading and unsubstantiated. Especially, where I stated that the sum of N300m, changed hands. This gross error was discovered after intense scrutiny of the information released.

“I hereby apologise to Mallam Abdulrahman Abdulrazaq the executive governor of Kwara state and Mal. Garba Attairu Madami the Kwara state resident Electoral Commissioner on the above issue.

“I am also apologising for any embarrassment, inconveniences and unpleasantness caused by my thoughtless purported statement,” he said in the statement.

The PDP governed Kwara for 16 years until its defeat in the 2019 general elections by the APC through the “Oto ge” (Enough is enough) revolt that removed the Saraki family from the control of the state for the first time in the Fourth Republic.