Osun election: TICC accuses APC of vote-buying, intimidation of voters

By Deborah Oladejo, Osogbo –

The Imole Campaign Council (TICC) has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) of vote-buying and intimidation of voters during the ongoing Osun State governorship election.

The council, in a statement issued in Osogbo on Saturday by its spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, alleged that the APC, in connivance with security agents, was orchestrating intimidation, vote-buying and unlawful arrests across the state.

TICC said its situation room had received “scores of reports, accompanied by video evidence, detailing alleged cases of vote-buying, unlawful arrests and intimidation of voters”.

“We have reports of massive vote-buying, where APC party officials offer voters N50,000 and N25,000 to harvest their votes,” the council alleged.

It also alleged that unauthorised soldiers had been deployed by the APC to arrest and detain Accord Party campaigners across the state while voting was ongoing.

“We also note the perplexing deployment of unauthorised soldiers by the APC to arrest and detain Accord Party campaigners across the state even while voting was ongoing. This is unacceptable and embarrassing to the gallant officers of the Armed Forces,” the statement added.

Despite the allegations, the council expressed confidence that Governor Ademola Adeleke would win the election by a wide margin, attributing its optimism to what it described as overwhelming support from voters for the Accord Party.

Olajengbesi urged residents to remain vigilant and monitor the electoral process, while rejecting what he described as the APC’s alleged attempt to intimidate voters and militarise the governorship election.