Social Democratic Party candidate Olugbenga Obafemi says Nigeria’s electoral body and security agencies failed voters in Saturday’s Ekiti governorship election.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Sunday, Obafemi alleged that INEC and the police were “very much compromised” during the poll. He claimed party agents also fell short, and that the election was dominated by vote-buying.
“What I saw was very bad,” he said. “INEC should look into ways to stop this act of vote-buying ahead of the general elections.”
Obafemi linked the problem to poverty in Ekiti. He argued that campaigns should focus on policy, not cash handouts. “People will vote for a small amount of money and suffer for many years after. Why is it like that?”
He also accused the ruling APC of shutting out opponents from advertising. According to him, the party controlled all billboards in the state and opposition posters were torn down within hours of being put up.
Incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the APC won the election, taking all 16 LGAs. INEC announced he got 319,224 votes. PDP’s Wole Oluyede had 40,543 votes, while ADC’s Dare Bejide got 12,872.
Though conceding defeat, Obafemi urged Oyebanji to address Ekiti’s pressing issues. He cited insecurity, noting that 16 residents kidnapped in Edo Oniyo have spent 54 days in captivity, and that a pastor was killed in a church attack.
His comments echo earlier reports of vote-buying, voter suppression, and technical glitches that especially affected elderly voters.
