Former Edo State Governor, Senator Adams Oshiomhole, has stirred fresh debate after boldly declaring that he won all 18 local government areas in Edo State during his 2012 re-election without giving money to a single voter.
The outspoken former labour leader made the revelation while delivering a scathing rebuke of electoral malpractice, which he described as the “worst crime” in any democracy.
Recounting the election, Oshiomhole said his victory was driven by trust, not cash inducements. “In my 2012 re-election in Edo State, I won in all the 18 local government areas. I did not give money to anybody,” he said.
According to him, rather than compete in vote buying, he challenged voters to make their own choice. “I told them, if my opponent who allegedly had money offered you cash, you could collect it. No receipt, no refund,” he added. “But I told them clearly: I had no money to give, only my commitment to development.”
Oshiomhole went on to describe the moral weight of democratic leadership, stressing that electoral fraud strips governance of its legitimacy.
“The beauty of democracy is that inner feeling that, out of over 200 million people, you have been chosen by the state to manage their resources creatively for the greatest good of the greatest number,” he said.
He warned that vote buying and election rigging come with serious consequences, noting that the law already provides stiff penalties. “There are penalties for vote buying,” Oshiomhole said. “Presiding officers who deliberately undermine the will of the people or manipulate ballot papers face not just fines, but jail time.”
He added that sanctions extend across the board from INEC officials to candidates themselves. “On the side of INEC officials, there are penalties. On the side of the candidates, there are also penalties,” he stressed.
The revelation has since sparked conversation online, with supporters hailing it as proof that credibility can still win elections, while critics remain skeptical in a political climate often tainted by money politics.