Peter Obafemi, the governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election, has alleged that Saturday’s poll was characterised by widespread intimidation and vote-buying, raising concerns over the credibility of the electoral process.
Speaking during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Obafemi claimed that the election failed to meet the expectations of a free and fair democratic exercise, accusing security agencies and electoral officials of failing to prevent electoral malpractice.
Assessing the conduct of the poll, the SDP candidate described the exercise as deeply flawed, alleging that incidents of voter inducement occurred openly at polling units without intervention from the relevant authorities.
“I think it was full of intimidation,” Obafemi stated, insisting that his observations were based on firsthand experience rather than hearsay.
According to him, while casting his vote at his polling unit, he witnessed what he described as blatant vote-buying involving large sums of cash.
“I went to cast my vote and, as I was leaving, I was shocked by what I saw. Someone had bagloads of money at the polling unit,” he alleged.
Obafemi claimed that the individual involved was a member of one of the major political parties and was allegedly operating under police protection. He further alleged that the amount of money involved ran into several millions of naira.
“I am not making allegations based on rumours. I saw it with my own eyes in my polling unit,” he said.
The SDP candidate accused both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the police of failing to discharge their responsibilities impartially during the election.
According to him, the conduct of some officials undermined public confidence in the electoral process and raised questions about the integrity of the exercise.
Obafemi urged INEC to take urgent steps to strengthen measures against vote-buying ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the continued monetisation of elections poses a serious threat to Nigeria’s democracy.
He said the electoral commission should review its operational procedures and collaborate with relevant agencies to curb the growing trend of inducing voters with cash during elections.
The SDP candidate also alleged that his campaign materials were targeted in the build-up to the election. According to him, several of his campaign banners and posters were pulled down before election day, an action he described as an attempt to undermine his campaign and reduce his party’s visibility among voters.
Official results released by INEC, however, showed that Obafemi secured 179 votes in the governorship election.
The electoral umpire declared incumbent Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) the winner of the election conducted across the state’s 16 local government areas.
According to the final results announced early Sunday, Oyebanji polled 319,224 votes to secure a second term in office.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Oluwole Oluyede, finished second with 40,543 votes, while Dare Bejide of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) came third after polling 12,872 votes.
Following the announcement of the results, Governor Oyebanji expressed gratitude to the people of Ekiti State for renewing his mandate, describing the outcome as a reflection of public confidence in his administration’s performance over the past four years.
Speaking during his acceptance address in Ado-Ekiti, the governor said his re-election affirmed the people’s support for his administration’s developmental programmes and people-centred policies.
He pledged that his second term would focus on consolidating existing achievements while implementing more projects aimed at improving the welfare of residents across the state.
Oyebanji also extended an olive branch to his political opponents, emphasizing that the election was over and that governance should take precedence over political competition.
According to the governor, he had already begun reaching out to some of the candidates who contested against him, stressing the need for unity and collaboration in advancing the development of Ekiti State.
While the APC celebrated what it described as a decisive victory, allegations of vote-buying and electoral irregularities raised by opposition candidates have added to ongoing debates about the need for stronger safeguards to ensure transparent, credible and violence-free elections ahead of the 2027 general polls.
