Isaac Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State governor Ayodele Fayose, has accused the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) of spending approximately N60 billion to buy votes in the Osun State governorship election.
Speaking during an interview on News Central Television, Fayose alleged that the funds were sourced from taxpayers across Nigeria. He asserted that without vote-buying, the APC would not have secured 100,000 votes in the contest.
Fayose criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) for what he described as their failure to prevent electoral malpractice. He specifically alleged that armoured vehicles were deployed by police to snatch ballot boxes, a claim he said was unprecedented.
“The APC bought votes worth about N60 billion. When you buy votes worth N60 billion, where did they get this money from?” Fayose said. “So, you can see the EFCC, INEC and police. They are still not doing their job. Well, you saw what the police did in Osun. That’s the first time the police will be using our armoured vehicles to snatch ballot boxes.”
He added that Osun residents resisted the alleged manipulation, stating: “If the election were to be free and fair, APC would not get 100,000 votes. You and I know it. They don’t love them; they don’t like them. So, vote-buying made them get that figure.”
The allegations raise questions about electoral integrity and the role of security agencies in Nigeria’s democratic process. Neither the APC nor the named agencies had responded to the claims at the time of reporting.
