Fresh concerns have emerged ahead of the August 15 Osun State governorship election following the circulation of a viral video that allegedly shows residents receiving ₦10,000 each and taking a religious oath to vote for Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The video, which has been widely shared on social media, reportedly shows mostly women collecting cash before being led through an oath by individuals alleged to be supporters of the governor.
In the footage, the participants are heard repeating an oath after a coordinator, pledging to vote for Adeleke. They also invoke blessings upon themselves if they keep the promise and curses if they fail to do so.
“I will vote for Ademola Adeleke. I promise to be faithful and honest, and to do what you want. If I fail to do so, may all the troubles and calamities in the Bible befall me. But if I collect the money and vote for him, may all the blessings in the Bible be mine,” they recited.
The authenticity of the video and the claims surrounding it have not been independently verified.
The allegation surfaced just days before voters head to the polls in one of Nigeria’s most closely watched off-cycle governorship elections, where Governor Adeleke is seeking a second term amid stiff competition from opposition parties.
The development comes against the backdrop of heightened political tension in the state, particularly following the freezing of Osun State Government accounts by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
On Thursday, President Bola Tinubu directed the EFCC to take immediate steps to unfreeze the state’s accounts, saying the timing of the action could create the impression that federal institutions were interfering in the electoral process.
According to the President’s Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu personally communicated the decision to Governor Adeleke during a telephone conversation.
The President said that although the EFCC acted within its legal powers and under a valid court order, he was concerned about the timing of the action.
“Nothing ought to be done to give an impression that the EFCC or any other federal agency is being used to interfere with the election,” Tinubu said.
He subsequently directed the anti-graft agency to return to court to vacate the order freezing the state’s accounts and discontinue all related actions.
The EFCC had defended the decision, explaining that the accounts were frozen as part of an investigation into the alleged diversion of about ₦11 billion in Ecology Funds, Intervention Funds and Federation Account Allocation Committee (FAAC) allocations.
The commission maintained that its actions were based on ongoing investigations into suspected financial misconduct and were not politically motivated despite their proximity to the election.
The emergence of the alleged vote-buying video has further intensified concerns about the credibility of the forthcoming poll.
Vote buying has remained a persistent challenge in Nigerian elections despite repeated assurances by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies and anti-corruption agencies that offenders would be identified and prosecuted.
Civil society organisations have consistently warned that vote buying, voter intimidation and other electoral malpractices undermine the integrity of elections and weaken public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process.
