The 2026 Osun State governorship election has been overshadowed by allegations of widespread vote-buying, with the All Progressives Congress and Accord Party accused of offering voters between N10,000 and N20,000 in several parts of the state.
The allegations surfaced just before Saturday’s election, with residents and party sources telling journalists that cash and food items had been distributed days before voters were expected to cast their ballots.
Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party is seeking re-election against the APC candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, and other contestants. About 1.9 million voters who collected their Permanent Voter Cards are expected to participate in the election.
Reports from several local government areas indicated that the alleged payments varied according to location and party. In Ilesa, residents said APC supporters were offering as much as N20,000 to voters, while Accord was reportedly paying about N10,000 in some areas.
In Osogbo, APC members were accused of distributing N15,000 to selected voters across the city’s wards. A party source, however, described the money as assistance for feeding rather than payment for votes.
Similar allegations emerged from Iwo, Aiyedire, Ila, Ile-Ife and Ikire. In some areas, residents claimed both parties were distributing money, with supporters adjusting their offers as they competed for voters.
In Ila, for example, residents alleged that Accord increased its offer from N10,000 to N20,000, while APC was reportedly offering N15,000. In Ede, Adeleke’s hometown, Accord was accused of distributing N10,000 before APC supporters allegedly responded with N15,000.
Some residents also alleged that voters were asked to swear oaths of loyalty after receiving money or other items. Food commodities, including rice, were reportedly distributed in some communities alongside cash.
An APC chieftain in Ilesa acknowledged that money had been given to residents but denied that the exercise amounted to vote-buying. He said the cash was intended to help voters with transportation to their polling units.
The allegations have raised fresh concerns about the influence of money on the election. The police warned politicians and voters that vote-buying is an electoral offence and said anyone caught engaging in it would be arrested and prosecuted.
The warning came as security concerns also grew across the state. Reports indicated that at least eight people were killed between Monday and Friday in incidents linked to violence and clashes in parts of Ilesa and Esa-Oke. The police, however, linked one of the reported killings to a suspected cult clash.
Security forces subsequently increased their presence in several locations regarded as potential flashpoints, including communities around Osun’s borders with neighbouring states.
The APC and Accord camps also traded accusations over alleged plans to unleash political thugs and attack supporters. The APC accused the Adeleke administration of harbouring suspected hoodlums, while Accord alleged that its members and supporters had been attacked in several communities. Both claims were made by party officials and were not independently established in the report.
YIAGA Africa, an election-monitoring organisation, expressed concern that the combination of vote-buying and political violence could undermine the credibility of the poll.
Its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, described the level of voter inducement and violence as alarming and urged voters to vote according to their conscience.
With the election taking place amid competing cash offers, security concerns and accusations between the major parties, attention now turns to whether voters will be able to cast their ballots freely and whether the electoral process will produce a credible result.
