Youths at a polling unit in Ekiti State on Saturday chased away operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission who had arrived to monitor the ongoing governorship election.
The incident occurred at Polling Unit 10, Ward B, Iyin-Ekiti, during the state’s off-cycle governorship poll.
A viral video of the incident showed some voters confronting officials of the anti-graft agency and demanding that they leave the polling area.
The EFCC operatives were said to have visited the polling unit as part of efforts to monitor and prevent vote buying, a practice that has remained a major concern during elections in Nigeria.
However, their presence was resisted by some voters, who questioned the rationale behind the deployment of EFCC personnel to the polling centre.
Following the confrontation, the EFCC operatives left the area, while voting reportedly continued peacefully without disruption.
The development came amid heightened scrutiny of the conduct of the election, with political parties, observers and stakeholders raising concerns over alleged voter inducement in parts of the state.
Earlier on Saturday, the governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Ambassador Dare Bejide, alleged incidents of vote buying and assault at his polling unit.
Bejide made the allegation while addressing police officers at Ward 2, Ilawe-Ekiti, in Ekiti West Local Government Area of the state.
The Independent National Electoral Commission had deployed electoral officials and materials across the state for the poll, while security agencies were also mobilised to ensure a peaceful and credible exercise.
Reacting to reports of alleged vote buying, prominent activist Aisha Yesufu criticised what she described as the failure of relevant institutions to enforce electoral laws against voter inducement.
In a post on X, Yesufu argued that the continued prevalence of vote buying, despite existing legal prohibitions, places candidates who obey the rules at a disadvantage.
“At this rate, vote buying should be decriminalised in Nigeria,” she wrote.
She said the inability of authorities to stop vote trading could reduce elections to financial contests on polling day rather than contests of ideas, policies and performance.
“Instead of candidates wasting money on campaigns, let everyone wait for Election Day and bargain. The highest bidder wins, and you save your money!” she added.
Yesufu maintained that persistent allegations of vote buying threaten the credibility of democratic elections and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
“This nonsense needs to stop!” she said.
Vote buying remains an electoral offence under Nigerian law, with anti-graft and law enforcement agencies often deployed during elections to monitor and prevent the practice.
However, allegations of voter inducement have continued to trail several elections across the country.
Meanwhile, the lawmaker representing Ekiti South Senatorial District in the National Assembly, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, dismissed allegations of violence, chaos and vote buying in parts of the district.
Adaramodu spoke with journalists after casting his vote at Ward 001, Unit 011, Owasun/Tedio/Oloriawo Area, Ekiti Southwest Local Government Area, Ilawe-Ekiti.
The Senate Leader later visited Ward 2, Unit 4, where the ADC governorship candidate, Bejide, had voted, following reports of tension at the polling unit.
Speaking after addressing party supporters and calling for peace, Adaramodu said his presence at the location was part of a routine assessment of the voting exercise across his constituency and not because of any distress call.
He said voters were queuing and casting their ballots peacefully, adding that he did not witness any fight, crisis or breakdown of order.
“I happen to be around, after casting my vote, to look around and see that everything is in order, because it is the duty of all of us to ensure that there is peace and everything is in order. And then my experience has been very, very superb,” he said.
Responding to reports of shouting and possible security breaches at the polling unit, Adaramodu described the claims as false alarm, insisting that the situation on the ground did not support the narrative of crisis.
“When I came here, I didn’t come here on invitation that there was chaos or crisis. I only came here the way I have been to some other units. So, my coming here is not because I heard any story of crisis,” he said.
“And when I came here, I didn’t see anybody fighting. I didn’t see any crisis, I didn’t see any chaos, I didn’t see any topsy-turvy, I didn’t see any higgledy-piggledy.”
On allegations of vote buying, Adaramodu denied witnessing any such practice in the area and challenged anyone with evidence to report to security agencies for prosecution.
“If there is any instance, that person should substantiate it and bring out the culprit,” he said.
He argued that a government that has delivered democratic dividends to the people does not need to buy votes.
“Without campaigning, when you have a government that has given dividends of democracy, do you have to buy votes anymore? So, the only thing you can do is to use achievement to curry the votes of the electorate, which our government has done,” he said.
Adaramodu urged journalists and election observers to verify claims from the field before amplifying reports that could create panic.
He maintained that, from his observation, the election in the area was peaceful and orderly.
The post “Ekiti Election Tension Over Vote Buying” — Youths Chase EFCC Operatives From Polling Unit As Bejide Alleges Inducement, Adaramodu Denies Crisis appeared first on TheNigeriaLawyer.
