Osun Election: Fayose Alleges N60bn Vote-Buying by APC

Isaac Fayose, the younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress spent about N60 billion to influence voters during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.

Fayose made the claim on Monday during an interview with News Central Television, where he accused the ruling party of using money to secure votes in the election. He also questioned the source of the funds, saying they ultimately came from taxpayers across the country.

According to him, the APC would not have recorded up to 100,000 votes in the election if there had been no vote buying. He also accused the Independent National Electoral Commission and security agencies of failing to stop the practice during the poll.

Fayose further alleged that security vehicles, including armoured vehicles, were used in attempts to interfere with the electoral process. He claimed that such actions were aimed at gaining control of election materials and influencing the outcome of the exercise.

He criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission for what he described as its failure to investigate the alleged financial activities connected to the election.

Fayose said the conduct of the election raised concerns about the ability of security agencies and electoral authorities to prevent vote buying and other forms of electoral malpractice.

He also claimed that voters in Osun resisted attempts to manipulate the process and prevented some alleged efforts to interfere with ballot materials.

The former governor’s brother maintained that the level of support recorded by the APC would have been much lower if voters had not been offered money in exchange for their votes.

His allegations come amid growing political debate over the conduct and outcome of the Osun governorship election, with opposition figures and other political actors raising different claims about the role of money, security agencies and electoral officials.

Fayose’s claims have not been independently established in the report, and no evidence confirming the alleged N60 billion expenditure was presented during the interview.

The allegations also come as political parties and their supporters begin assessing the Osun election ahead of the 2027 general elections, with concerns over vote buying and the use of state resources remaining major issues in Nigeria’s electoral process.