Allegations of Vote-Buying in Osun Governorship Election

During the Osun State governorship election, allegations of vote-buying emerged involving the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party. A voter at Eleye Open Space, Polling Unit 5, Ward 8, in Irewole Local Government Area claimed that Accord, led by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, paid N2,500 to voters, while the APC, whose candidate is Bola Oyebamiji, allegedly offered N20,000.

Reports indicated that agents from both parties distributed between N10,000 and N20,000 to voters across various local government areas. In Ilesa, voters reported receiving N20,000 from APC agents and N10,000 from Accord.

In Ila, Accord initially offered N10,000 before increasing it to N20,000, while APC offered N15,000. In Ile-Ife, APC was alleged to have paid N15,000 and Accord N10,000.

The election is a three-way contest involving Adeleke, Oyebamiji, and Najeem Salaam of the African Democratic Congress. The political atmosphere is tense, with concerns over intimidation and security agency interference.

President Bola Tinubu urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to ensure a transparent election.