Businessman Deji Adeleke, father of Afrobeats star Davido, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) spent approximately N60 billion on vote-buying during the recent Osun State governorship election. Speaking in Osogbo, the state capital, Adeleke claimed the ruling party paid up to N50,000 per vote in certain areas during the contest.
Adeleke, whose younger brother Ademola Adeleke won the election, said he learned of the scale of spending on election day and retreated to pray. “I said, ‘God Almighty, let people collect their money but still vote for Ademola Adeleke,'” he recounted. He described the expenditure as unprecedented, stating, “They spent N60 billion as we heard. Some places they bought votes for as high as 50,000, for one single vote.”
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner after he polled 511,067 votes. His main rival, Bola Oyebamiji of the APC, secured 444,815 votes. The election, held across the state’s 30 local government areas, was largely peaceful despite heightened political tension.
Adeleke’s allegations raise fresh questions about the influence of money in Nigerian electoral politics. While vote-buying has been a recurring feature in off-cycle Elections, the specific figures cited — N60 billion in total spending and N50,000 per vote in some locations — would represent an extraordinary escalation if verified. Neither the APC nor INEC has publicly responded to the claims.
The governor’s victory marked a return to power for the PDP in Osun State after a single term by the APC. Ademola Adeleke, a former senator, first won the governorship in 2022 after a protracted legal battle following the 2018 election. His re-election consolidates his political hold in the South-West state.
Observers note that allegations of massive financial inducement, whether proven or not, undermine public confidence in the integrity of the ballot. Civil society groups have long called for stricter enforcement of campaign finance laws and the prosecution of vote-buying offenses, which carry penalties under the Electoral Act 2022.
The Osun election was one of several off-cycle governorship contests scheduled ahead of the 2027 general elections. Its outcome is seen as a barometer for the strength of major parties in the South-West, a key battleground region. As the political dust settles, the focus may shift to whether electoral authorities will investigate the specific allegations of systematic vote-buying raised by a prominent figure within the winning camp.
