Posted by Samuel on Fri 15th Nov, 2024 - tori.ng
Boniface claimed he turned down the substantial offer from prominent PDP figures, stating that he was committed to his principles and would not betray his party.
Hon. Samuel Boniface, the Labour Party (LP) youth leader in Ondo State, has accused certain politicians of attempting to bribe him with a ₦100 million offer to dissolve the LP structure and merge with the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) ahead of the upcoming election.
In an interview with Daily Post, Boniface claimed he turned down the substantial offer from prominent PDP figures, stating that he was committed to his principles and would not betray his party.
He said: “As the state youth leader of the Labour Party, three weeks ago, some PDP stakeholders contacted me, asking me to collapse the Labour Party structure into their party. They asked me to name any amount from ₦100 million, but I declined because I have a goal. I have my own future. I can’t sell my conscience like that.
“I also told them that I will never betray my followers and my party. When I contested for the House of Reps in 2023, they did the same thing, but I told them that I’d rather lose the election than sell my conscience.
“They are doing everything possible to buy the structure. They are ready to offer any amount. But I strongly believe that if we stand our ground, they won’t succeed. Everyone is tired of both APC and PDP.”
Supporting LP Chairperson Remilekun Ojo, Boniface rejected recent media statements claiming that candidate Olusola Ebiseni had been disqualified by the Appeal Court.
He said, “The reports we are seeing on social media are big lies. It is so disappointing because the court had already struck out the case, and the party settled the matter out of court.”
Boniface revealed that the party plans to take legal action against media outlets that circulated the disqualification rumors.
He said, “We have decided to sue some newspapers that reported our candidate is no longer on the list. If you check the INEC portal, you will see our candidate there, so who removed him?
“With the election just two days away, such reports coming out now are disruptive, so we are suing the paper.
“Why would they claim that our candidate was removed from the race? They don’t have any evidence to support that.”
He further clarified that Festus Olorunfemi, who initially raised concerns, had formally stepped down for Ebiseni and received compensation of ₦5 million from Ebiseni and an additional ₦2 million from the National Chairman, with records and receipts to prove these transactions.
Boniface assured supporters, “I can assure you that everything is very much intact. We are not distracted by this misleading news.”