Ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for August 15, 2026, the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Accord party have accused each other of engaging in vote-buying and other illegal activities. Both organizations have formally requested that law enforcement and electoral oversight bodies launch investigations into these claims.
The APC chapter in Osun claims that Governor Ademola Adeleke intends to pay public servants, including teachers and local government employees, N20,000 each to sway their ballots. Kola Olabisi, the APC media director, asserted that these payments were slated to reach accounts on Monday. The party urged workers to decline the funds, highlighting that the government still owes various outstanding financial obligations such as pension and insurance remittances.
Conversely, the Accord party described these allegations as deceitful. Pastor Victor Babalola Akande, the state chairman, stated that Governor Adeleke has no reason to bribe the workforce, citing the current administration’s track record of timely salary disbursements and improved employee welfare. Instead, the Accord party accused the APC of gathering voters’ Personal Identification Numbers and purchasing Permanent Voter Cards throughout the region for several months.
The Accord party further claimed that agents linked to the APC have been distributing food and cash to citizens while harvesting voter data. Both political factions are now calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the EFCC, and the ICPC to scrutinize these competing accusations.
