An Osogbo-based legal practitioner and member of the All Progressives Congress, Chief Abimbola Ige, has faulted the conduct of the August 15, 2026 Osun State governorship election over what he described as huge vote buying across the state.
Ige, in an interview on Sunday, said the level of inducement witnessed during the poll was a bad omen for Nigerian democracy.
He alleged that some voters were offered as much as N50,000 for their votes in different parts of the state.
The legal practitioner argued that the trend shows candidates are now more focused on what they can distribute to voters than on what they intend to do for the people if elected.
“What happened on the 15th of August 2026 was the grandfather of all vote buying.
“The danger is not merely that politicians spend money during elections. Candidates increasingly focus on what they can distribute to voters rather than what they intend to do for them if elected,” Ige stated.
However, the lawyer noted that despite the reported inducements, the incumbent governor was returned for another four-year term.
He said this suggests that money may not have the decisive influence politicians assume.
“It is becoming apparent that money is losing its magic wand in our electoral processes,” he said.
Ige urged political actors to recognise that there is a limit to what money can achieve at the ballot box.
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