Osun Election Fallout: Fayose Alleges ₦60 Billion Vote-Buying Operation as Democracy Faces Another Cash-and-Armoury Test

Isaac Fayose, younger brother of former Ekiti State Governor Ayodele Fayose, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) deployed about ₦60 billion to buy votes during the just-concluded Osun State governorship election — an extraordinary claim that, if substantiated, would turn an already contentious electoral contest into a major investigation of political finance, voter inducement and the use of state institutions. Fayose made the allegation during an interview with News Central Television, questioning where such a huge sum could have come from and accusing electoral and security authorities of failing to stop alleged vote trading.

The allegation arrives against a background in which vote buying had already become one of the central concerns surrounding the Osun election. INEC publicly warned political actors against voter inducement and said vote buying could undermine the credibility of the August 15 poll.

Fayose ₦60 Billion Claim Puts Vote-Buying Under the Spotlight

Fayose alleged that the APC could not have obtained 100,000 votes without vote trading, arguing that the enormous figure he cited was ultimately money belonging to Nigerian taxpayers. His comments, however, remain an allegation rather than an established finding: no independent evidence establishing that ₦60 billion was spent by the APC has been identified in the sources reviewed for this report.

The claim nevertheless lands in an election environment already marked by accusations from rival political camps. Before the poll, the APC accused Governor Ademola Adeleke’s camp of planning monetary inducements, while Adeleke’s administration had separately accused APC actors of attempting to compromise voters’ cards. The competing accusations demonstrated how deeply vote buying had become embedded in the political conversation surrounding the election.

Armoured Vehicles, Ballot Boxes and the Serious Business of Suspicion

Fayose further alleged that armoured vehicles were used in attempts to manipulate the election and criticised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), INEC and the police for what he described as inadequate action. In the satirical version of this political drama, the ballot box has apparently acquired enough VIP status to require an armoured escort — although the specific allegation still requires independent verification before it can be treated as fact.

There is, however, documented evidence that authorities were already dealing with alleged electoral malpractice before polling day. In July, the Osun State Police Command announced the arrest of the Secretary to the State Government, Teslim Igbalaye, and others over alleged vote buying, saying ₦4.8 million and electoral materials were recovered during an operation. The arrests were allegations and did not establish the much larger ₦60 billion figure now claimed by Fayose.

For now, the ₦60 billion allegation remains a political bombshell rather than a proven financial finding. Its significance lies in the questions it raises about the financing of elections, the enforcement responsibilities of INEC and security agencies, and whether Nigerian democracy can move beyond the increasingly familiar spectacle in which votes are treated as commodities and public institutions are accused of becoming spectators. OGM News NG will continue to watch for credible evidence, official responses and any investigation that may either substantiate or disprove the extraordinary claim