“I didn’t say Ondo people are nothing but “bastards n ingrates” - Jamiu Ekungba

According to “The Trent,” Jamiu Ekungba, one of the governorship aspirants that contested the primary election of the All Progressives Congress, APC, in Ondo State, on Saturday, September 4, 2016, has said he at no time abused the people of the state after his loss at the poll.

Ekungba, who got 44 votes, refuted a report in which he was quoted as saying that the people of Ondo are nothing but “bastards and ingrates.”

The report claimed that Ekungba was bitter about his loss and therefore regretted that he wasted over N300 million on delegates who despite the huge inducements, refused to vote for him.

In a statement on Tuesday, September 6, 2016, Ekungba 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 N300 million 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 N628bn federal allocations in seven years of this administration, owes the civil servants eight months’ salaries. I am an accomplished accountant, an experienced banker, administrator and a financial expert.

“I know the state of Ondo’s 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?”