The 2026 Osun State governorship election has been overshadowed by allegations of widespread vote-buying, with agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord Party reportedly offering between N10,000 and N20,000 per voter in several parts of the state.
The allegations, came as voters went to the polls to elect a governor for the next four years.
According to the report, the alleged cash inducements began days before election day and were reported in several local government areas.
In Ilesa, APC agents were reportedly distributing as much as N20,000 per voter in parts of Ilesa East, Ilesa West and Atakunmosa East. One voter claimed that payments were made in cash at the residences of party chieftains designated to coordinate activities at polling units.
A human rights activist in Ilesa, speaking anonymously, was quoted as saying that about N700,000 was allegedly allocated to each polling unit, with individual voters receiving varying amounts.
In Aiyedire Local Government Area, Accord was reportedly distributing N10,000 to eligible voters, while some residents said APC agents were offering as much as N15,000. The report also alleged that more than 200 women in Ileogbo were offered N10,000 each by a group campaigning for the APC.
The alleged cash-for-votes competition was also reported in Ila, where residents claimed that both parties were offering money.
According to the report, APC was allegedly offering N15,000, while Accord reportedly raised its offer to N20,000.
In Ile-Ife, some residents alleged that APC agents offered N15,000 while Accord offered N10,000. Similar claims emerged from Ikire, where both parties were reportedly distributing cash ranging from N10,000 to N20,000.
The reports also indicated that some voters were allegedly asked to provide their Permanent Voter Cards or make promises about how they would vote before receiving money. Such allegations, if established, would raise serious concerns about the credibility and integrity of the electoral process.
The vote-buying allegations are not limited to cash handed out at the grassroots. Earlier in the campaign, the APC accused Governor Ademola Adeleke, the Accord candidate, of planning to give N20,000 to state and local government workers as an inducement ahead of the election.
The governor’s camp and organised labour have rejected the allegations, describing payments to workers as legitimate government interventions rather than vote-buying.
The latest allegations have added another layer of controversy to a closely fought election between incumbent Governor Adeleke of Accord and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji.
The contest has already been marked by accusations and counter-accusations over alleged electoral malpractice, intimidation and political interference.
With voters now casting their ballots, attention is turning to whether the reported financial inducements will influence turnout and voting patterns, and whether election officials and security agencies will be able to prevent further attempts at influencing voters through cash.
The allegations remain allegations and have not, in themselves, established that either party systematically bought votes across the state. Independent verification and findings by relevant electoral and law-enforcement authorities will be necessary to determine the extent of any wrongdoing.
As voting proceeds across Osun, the central question is whether the election will ultimately be decided by voters’ policy preferences and candidate choices or by the highest price offered for their ballots.