Ekiti Poll: ADC candidate alleges vote buying, assault, intimidation as APC Chieftain denies claims

Dare Bejide, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for governor of Ekiti State, claimed that vote buying and an assault on his driver occurred at his polling unit during the Saturday governorship election.

He voted at Polling Unit 004, Ward 2, Oke Adura, Ilawe-Ekiti, and accused APC members of openly handing out money to voters to sway the result.

In an interview with reporters soon after the polls closed, Bejide said that several APC leaders—some of whom were local government officials—had assembled at the polling unit with substantial sums of money intended for vote‑buying.

He added that his driver was injured during an altercation at the polling unit while attempting to protect him from being pushed.

Bejide said the injured driver was taken to a hospital for treatment.

He reported the incident to the police but expressed disappointment with what he described as the inadequate response of security personnel on site.

Bejide condemned the alleged vote‑buying, calling it a violation of democratic principles and an embarrassment to the electoral process.

Similarly, Mr. Olumide Bejide, the ADC candidate’s son, alleged that APC chieftains had distributed large sums of money at all polling units in Ilawe, claiming such actions violated INEC rules and that APC leaders sought to buy the conscience of the electorate.

He added that the money being distributed could have been used to repair Ekiti’s poor roads, and he condemned the practice.

APC chieftain Makinde Araoye dismissed the allegations, asserting that the election was being conducted peacefully throughout the state.

Araoye told reporters that the electoral process had