Details have emerged on the alleged amounts of money offered to voters by the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord Party during Saturday’s Osun State governorship election.
A voter at Eleye Open Space, Polling Unit 5, Ward 8, in Irewole Local Government Area, claimed that Accord, the party of incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, paid N2,500 to voters, while the APC, whose candidate is Bola Oyebamiji, allegedly offered N20,000.
The allegation is coming amid widespread reports of vote-buying in parts of the state before and during the election.
Reports also indicate that agents of both APC and Accord had allegedly distributed between N10,000 and N20,000 to voters in several local government areas.
In Ilesa, for instance, voters told journalists that APC agents were allegedly paying N20,000 per voter, while Accord was reportedly offering N10,000 in some areas. In other locations, the amounts reportedly varied, with some voters saying they collected money from both parties.
In Ila, residents reportedly said Accord initially offered N10,000 before increasing the amount to N20,000, while the APC was said to be offering N15,000. In Ile-Ife, a resident also alleged that APC offered N15,000 while Accord paid N10,000.
The election is largely a three-way contest involving Adeleke of Accord, Oyebamiji of the APC and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress (ADC). The three candidates are among the leading contenders in the closely watched election.
Adeleke, the incumbent governor, is seeking to retain the governorship after moving to Accord for the 2026 election. Oyebamiji is the APC candidate and a former Commissioner for Finance in Osun State, while Salaam, a former Speaker of the Osun State House of Assembly, is contesting on the ADC platform.
The allegations of vote-buying have come against the backdrop of heightened political tension in the state, with the APC determined to wrest power from Adeleke and the incumbent seeking another term.
The political atmosphere had also been affected by allegations of intimidation and interference involving security agencies.
Adeleke’s camp had raised concerns over the deployment and activities of security personnel in parts of the state
POLITICS NIGERIA reports that President Bola Tinubu had, on Friday night, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies to ensure that the election was conducted peacefully, transparently and credibly.
Tinubu made the call in a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, ahead of Saturday’s poll.
“As the people of Osun State head to the polling units to elect who will govern them in the next four years, I call on the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure orderly conduct of the election.
“The election must be transparent, free and fair. I urge INEC to ensure the integrity of the process,” the president said.
Meanwhile, there have also been complaints about the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at some polling units, including the voting centre of Governor Adeleke in Ede.
A voter at the polling unit, Alhaji Olaboye Mudashiru, expressed frustration over delays in the accreditation process, saying he had travelled from Ivory Coast to Ede to participate in the election.
“I think it is deplorable to experience that the BVAS are very, very bad,” Mudashiru told newsmen.
“At the polling booth where the governor is voting, here we have a crowd like this, which is not common in Osun State. As you can observe, you can see for yourself.”
Mudashiru said the polling unit was located within his family compound and had traditionally been his voting centre.
“This polling booth is always like this. From this compound, this is my home, this is my compound, and this is where I used to vote. I came here especially for this election from Ivory Coast,” he said.
He also questioned the credibility of the process because of the accreditation difficulties.
“I doubt the credibility of INEC. It is deplorable,” he said.
However, Mudashiru said he did not witness intimidation at Adeleke’s polling unit.
“Is there anything of intimidation? There is nothing like intimidation,” he said.
He called on INEC to ensure that its personnel were adequately trained and that the electoral equipment was properly tested before deployment.
“I think INEC has to be here and have well-trained personnel, and even check well the devices that they are using, the materials that they are using, which is very, very important for the BVAS to be like that in a polling booth where the crowd is like this,” Mudashiru said.
Adeleke, after casting his vote at Sagba Abogunde Ward 2, Unit 9, in Ede North Local Government Area, urged voters to protect their ballots and remain at their polling units to monitor the process.
The governor arrived at the polling unit at about 8:32 a.m. and was accredited at about 8:35 a.m. before casting his ballot.
Speaking after voting, Adeleke expressed confidence in his chances of securing victory.
COURTESY: PoliticsNigeria
