The All Progressives Congress and the Accord Party have been accused of intensifying vote-buying across Osun State, with supporters of the two leading parties allegedly offering voters between N10,000 and N20,000 ahead of Saturday’s governorship election.
The Punch reported the alleged inducement began as early as six days before the election, with cash, food items and other gifts reportedly distributed across several local government areas.
Some voters also alleged that party agents collected their bank account details ahead of the poll, promising to transfer money after they had voted.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is seeking another term against the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, African Democratic Congress candidate, Najeem Salaam, and nine other contestants.
A total of 1,906,390 registered voters who collected their Permanent Voter Cards are expected to participate in the election.
Investigations revealed that the two major parties allegedly commenced cash distribution between Monday and Tuesday, with the amount varying from one location to another.
In some communities, the alleged inducement reportedly involved spiritual oaths, with beneficiaries asked to swear that they would support the candidate of the party providing the money or items.
Videos circulating online also showed supporters of Adeleke and Oyebamiji distributing cash, rice, salt and other items while urging beneficiaries to remain loyal on election day.
Ilesa
Residents in Ilesa told The Punch that APC agents were allegedly paying N20,000 to voters across Ilesa East, Ilesa West and Atakunmosa East Local Government Areas.
Some beneficiaries said the money was distributed at the residences of designated APC leaders in different polling units.
According to them, the exercise started on Tuesday and continued through Friday.
One beneficiary, who spoke anonymously, said, “I collected my N20,000 at the Bonnke area of Ilesa on Wednesday. The cash was in N1,000 and N500 denominations. We had over 200 voters and it was done unit by unit. I collected mine around 11am at the bungalow belonging to one of the APC chieftains in our unit.”
A human rights activist in Ilesa also confirmed the development, saying residents were required to present their voter cards before receiving the money.
“At the Coca-Cola area, people were given N20,000 each at one particular storey building. But you have to show your voter card before being paid.
“At Abiola Avenue, APC members gave N20,000 to each voter. I was there. The storey building where the money was shared belongs to an APC leader in the area,” he said.
Residents of Iroye and Imo also reported the distribution of rice and cash by APC supporters.
“I saw them. They are APC supporters. They provided money and rice, but I don’t know the exact amount they were distributing. They were cursing the beneficiaries, saying it would not be well with them if they failed to vote for AMBO after collecting the money,” a student leader in Iroye said.
Accord was reportedly offering N10,000 in some parts of Ilesa, including Ifofin, Iloro and Okesa.
At Olowu Village in Atakunmosa East, residents alleged that Accord distributed N10,000 and asked beneficiaries to swear an oath of allegiance.
However, an APC chieftain in Ilesa West defended the payments, describing them as transportation assistance rather than vote-buying.
“We are not buying votes. We only provided them with cash to transport themselves to their various polling units,” he said.
Osogbo
In Osogbo Local Government Area, the APC was alleged to have distributed N15,000 to selected voters across the 15 wards.
An APC chieftain involved in the exercise said three party leaders were appointed in each ward to coordinate the distribution.
The chieftain said, “We targeted 150 voters in every unit. We gave N15,000 each to 75 voters on Wednesday, and another 75 voters received N15,000 each on Thursday.
“That was not really for vote-buying; it was for feeding before election day. We know what to do on election day.”
Iwo and Aiyedire
In Iwo, an APC source claimed N700,000 was allocated to each of the 170 polling units across the 15 wards for distribution to voters.
The source said the money was being shared at N15,000 per voter, adding that the exercise started on Tuesday and continued into Friday.
“A sum of N700,000 was provided per polling unit, and we have been distributing it at N15,000 per voter since Tuesday. We are systematic about it because the Accord Party is also distributing money,” he said.
In Aiyedire, Accord reportedly began distributing N10,000 to voters on Monday.
One voter claimed he collected money from both parties at his polling unit.
“Both APC and Accord are distributing money, but APC has the upper hand because it is paying N15,000 against Accord’s N10,000. As for me, I collected from both parties in my polling unit at Ward 2 in Ileogbo,” the voter said.
More than 200 women in Ileogbo were also reportedly offered N10,000 each by a group asking them to support the APC.
Ila and Ife
In Ila, both parties were accused of offering cash to voters, with residents reporting payments ranging between N15,000 and N20,000.
While APC was allegedly offering N15,000, Accord reportedly increased its offer to N20,000.
A resident said, “We were asked to swear an oath that we would vote for Adeleke. But we didn’t take any oath. So many others were given N10,000.”
Another resident, Isaac Ibirogba, said Accord initially offered N10,000 before increasing the amount to N20,000, while APC was paying N15,000.
In Ile-Ife, a member of the Hausa community said APC offered N15,000 while Accord offered N10,000.
He said party agents requested PVCs before payments were made.
“The APC people came to Sabo on Wednesday and, after interacting with some of us, they brought a bag containing cash. They requested our PVCs, but we told them we couldn’t give them. At the end of the day, they gave each of us N15,000. We were about 60,” he said.
A medical doctor in the Iremo area also said both parties had started distributing money.
“I am aware that both parties started their cash distribution on Tuesday. Some of my people in Sabo, Ilare, Oluorogbo and Enuwa collected the money. APC offered N15,000, while Accord paid N10,000,” he said.
Ikire and Ede
In Ikire, the hometown of the APC candidate, residents reported alleged cash inducement by both parties.
A resident, Oreoluwa Tolulope, said supporters of Oyebamiji and Senator Lere Oyewumi distributed money across wards in the town.
“APC is offering N15,000, while Accord is providing N10,000. They started about a week ago,” he said.
In Boluwaduro, Accord was accused of offering N10,000 to eligible voters and asking some beneficiaries to swear by the Ogun deity that they would vote for Adeleke.
APC had reportedly not commenced its own distribution there as of Friday, although two party chieftains claimed the party had budgeted N10,000 per voter.
In Ede, Adeleke’s hometown, Accord allegedly began distributing N10,000 as far back as two weeks earlier.
The party was said to have initially grouped voters into sets of 100 and offered N1m to each group before switching to individual payments.
APC subsequently entered the contest with an alleged N15,000 offer.
An APC leader in Ede said, “The Adeleke people have been distributing N10,000 for the past two weeks. We waited to see how far they could go, and we decided to give them a run for their money. We started distributing N15,000 on Tuesday, and that will continue until election day.”
An APC chieftain, Alhaja Falilat Yusuf, popularly known as Ero-Arike, was also seen in a viral video distributing bags of rice to women and urging them to vote for Oyebamiji.
The report further stated that some voters were allegedly made to take oaths while receiving money in support of Adeleke.
Police caution against vote-buying
The police warned politicians and voters against vote-buying, stressing that anyone caught engaging in the practice would be arrested and prosecuted.
The Force Public Relations Officer, Okokon Iniedu, said this on Friday at the Osun State Police Command Headquarters in Osogbo after briefing officers deployed for the election.
He described vote-buying as an electoral offence and promised adequate protection for INEC officials and National Youth Service Corps members during the exercise.
Eight killed, soldiers deployed
Meanwhile, at least eight people were reportedly killed between Monday night and Friday morning in Ilesa and Esa-Oke amid heightened political tension.
Three people identified as Idowu, Yinka and Eja were reportedly killed around the Imo area of Ilesa on Monday night.
Two others were said to have been killed around Boluwaduro on Wednesday, while Accord supporter Sunday Obube and another person were reportedly killed by suspected political thugs on Thursday.
Dele Ayegbo, a nephew of APC Campaign Director-General, Wole Oke, was also reportedly killed in Esa-Oke, Obokun Local Government Area.
On Friday, gunmen reportedly shot dead Osaretine Obasohan around the Oni Eran area of Ilesa.
The Osun State Police Command spokesperson, Abiodun Ojelabi, confirmed the killing but attributed it to a suspected cult clash.
“He (victim) was also suspected to be a cultist. The incident happened early this morning (Friday) around 7am at Omi Eran area,” he added.
Security was also heightened in several parts of the state, with soldiers and Armoured Personnel Carriers deployed to flashpoints, including the Osun/Kwara boundary in Ora, Ifedayo Local Government Area.
Troops were also deployed to Esa-Oke, Ilesa, Ikoyi, Owens and other communities bordering neighbouring states.
Parties trade allegations
The APC campaign council on Friday accused Adeleke of harbouring suspected political thugs at the Government House in Osogbo.
Addressing journalists, a member of the APC campaign media committee, Kehinde Ayantunji, urged the Inspector General of Police, Olatunji Disu, and the Director General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi, to investigate the allegation.
“As I am talking to you now, we have intelligence that a large number of political thugs have been mobilised into the Government House. In the last two hours, they have been moving in and out, and our intelligence has confirmed that most of these people are not from these states.
“The two individuals who led those thugs are Olowe and Iberu; these are the codenames given to them at the Government House this afternoon.
“We have no hesitation in concluding that some of these suspected political thugs are imported from Lagos with the registration numbers of these five groups. We are not just raising this alarm, we have double-checked our intelligence and we have pictorial evidence of what we are saying here this afternoon.
“The target is simple, having realised the imminent defeat in the state’s capital territory, that is Osogbo, Irepodun and Egbedore, the agenda is to mobilise them with funds and ammunition to destabilise Ward 5, Osogbo Local Government; Ward 4, Ward 8, Okini, in Egbedore Local Government, Ido Osun, and Ofatedo Local Government,” Ayantunji said.
Accord, in response, alleged that its members and supporters had been subjected to attacks in different parts of the state.
The party’s state chairman, Pastor Victor Akande, said several members had been killed or injured, while homes had also been attacked, vandalised and looted.
“At Osogbo, five names of top appointees of Accord candidate, Ademola Adeleke, have been pencilled down for attacks and arrest. As of yesterday (Thursday), a manhunt was launched for one of the top appointees. Heavily armed thugs launched sporadic gun attacks across Obokun LGA, Odo Otin LGA, Boripe LGA, Irewole LGA and several others.
“At Iree town, gun attacks took place all through the night with many Accord members injured while the palace of Aree of Iree was attacked with multiple gun attacks from all corners. Five injuries were reported in the palace. At Obokun, attacks and killings have continued unabated with several houses burnt at Esa Oke. The violence started two days ago with the security agencies unable to contain it.
“At Odo Otin, the attacks took place at Okuku and other towns with over 20 Accord members receiving treatment for various gunshots. At Ikire, the house of 25 Accord members were raided and their family members molested while the houses were openly vandalised. The attack did not spare the house of the Director General of the campaign, Senator Lere Oyewumi.
“At Ifewara, a thug, who was arrested and later released, was reported to have coordinated sporadic attacks on the Accord members and their residences. Several injuries were reported.”
YIAGA Africa raises credibility concerns
The Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, Samson Itodo, expressed concern that the election could be undermined by widespread vote-buying and political violence.
He condemned what he described as the exploitation of poverty through voter inducement and warned that political monetisation could weaken the credibility of the poll.
“YIAGA Africa is very worried about the alarming rate of voter inducement and violence in the build-up to this election. This weaponisation of poverty and attempt to monetise politics is highly disturbing, and we urge voters to vote their conscience.
“When politics is determined by the highest bidder and the highest tender, what suffers is governance, transparency, integrity and accountability,” he said.
Itodo also raised concerns over the number of deaths linked to the election build-up, putting the figure at 34.
“Osun is currently tense and highly competitive, signposted by violence. When you have attempts to undermine institutions from performing their constitutional functions, what you get is a questionable outcome,” he added.
