Allegations of vote-buying on Saturday surfaced in the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.

Several voters reportedly received cash inducements from political party agents in exchange for their votes.

According to findings from Aramoko Ekiti, headquarters of Ekiti West Local Government Area, some voters admitted receiving money from representatives of political parties participating in the election.

The voters alleged that agents of the All Progressives Congress, APC, offered N10,000 each, while agents of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, reportedly offered N2,000 to secure their support.

At Polling Unit 004, Chief Ologbodo’s House, Oke Uro, Aramoko II, party agents were allegedly seen approaching prospective voters with cash offers.

Witnesses said the inducements were made openly within the vicinity of the polling unit despite the presence of election officials and security personnel.

Some voters interviewed during the exercise confirmed receiving money from political actors, describing the practice as widespread across several polling centres in the community.

The allegations emerged hours after operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, visited Polling Unit 003, Foutage of Oyebanji Okelele, Ward 06, Ikogosi, in Ekiti West Local Government Area, amid concerns over vote-buying during the election.

About 10 EFCC officials reportedly arrived at the polling unit shortly after voting commenced and monitored activities around the area. However, no arrests had been announced as of the time of filing this report.

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, anti-corruption agencies and civil society organisations had earlier warned against voter inducement and other forms of electoral malpractice ahead of the election.

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The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, in the Ekiti State election, Dare Bejide, has alleged incidents of vote buying and assault of his driver at his polling unit during Saturday’s governorship poll.

Bejide, who cast his vote at Polling Unit 004, Ward 2, Oke Adura, Ilawe-Ekiti, accused members of the All Progressives Congress, APC, of openly distributing money to voters in an attempt to influence the outcome of the election.

Speaking with journalists shortly after voting, the ADC candidate alleged that several APC leaders, including local government officials, gathered at the polling unit with large sums of money for vote-buying purposes.

He further claimed that his driver sustained injuries during an altercation at the polling unit while trying to shield him from being pushed.

According to Bejide, the injured driver was subsequently taken to a hospital for treatment.

The ADC flagbearer said the incident had been reported to the police, but expressed dissatisfaction with what he described as the inadequate response of security personnel at the scene.

Bejide condemned the alleged vote-buying activities, describing them as a violation of democratic values and an embarrassment to the electoral process.

In the same vein, the son of the ADC flag bearer, Mr Olumide Bejide, alleged that APC chieftains flooded all polling units in Ilawe with large sums of money, distributing to electorates, saying such acts were against the rules of INEC. He said APC leaders were fond of buying the conscience of the masses.

He said the money they were throwing about during the election was enough to fix all the bad roads in Ekiti. He condemned the act.

Responding to the allegations, APC chieftain Makinde Araoye dismissed the claims and maintained that the election was being conducted peacefully across the state.

Araoye told journalists that the electoral process had been smooth, noting that improvements in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s, INEC, technology had significantly reduced the time required for voter accreditation and balloting.

He expressed confidence that Governor Biodun Oyebanji would secure re-election, arguing that the governor’s performance in office had earned him widespread support among residents.

Addressing allegations that he was involved in a confrontation with Bejide at the polling unit, Araoye denied any wrongdoing, saying he was merely visiting polling units within his ward to monitor the electoral process when a disagreement occurred.

According to him, the dispute arose after Bejide allegedly attempted to prevent him from moving around the polling area.

Araoye insisted that he had every right to observe activities within his ward and acted only in self-defence.

As of the time of filing this report, neither the police nor the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, had issued any official statement regarding the allegations raised by the ADC candidate.

Tension erupted on Saturday at Unit 4, Ward 2, Ilawe-Ekiti, during the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election, as supporters of the All Progressives Congress, APC, and the African Democratic Congress, ADC, reportedly clashed over allegations of vote buying.

The confrontation, which disrupted the voting process briefly, reportedly left one ADC supporter injured, who was later rushed to a medical facility for treatment after sustaining a head injury during the altercation.

The ADC governorship candidate, Dare Bejide, who voted at the polling unit, accused political actors of attempting to compromise the electoral process through cash distribution allegedly brought into the area.

He alleged that money intended for voters was brought into the vicinity, triggering a confrontation when his supporters attempted to intervene and stop the alleged activity.

Bejide further claimed that a chieftain of the APC arrived at the scene in a Toyota Jeep, allegedly with cash meant for distribution to voters, a situation he said escalated into chaos.

According to him, the situation degenerated after efforts to intercept the alleged cash led to a heated exchange involving party supporters and security operatives.

“One of my aides was attacked by security men brought in by them, and he has been taken to the hospital,” Bejide alleged, describing the incident as a violent disruption of the voting process.

He also said the alleged presence of cash at the polling unit was brought to the attention of security authorities, adding that the matter sparked panic and disorder within the area.

Despite the unrest, Bejide commended the conduct of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, noting that the election had proceeded smoothly prior to the outbreak of violence.

“The electoral personnel have been very diligent, and everything was going on very well before the pandemonium started,” he said.

He added that the situation had calmed after security operatives were redeployed to the area, allowing voting activities to continue under tight security presence, though tension remained high in the polling unit.