Ekiti Election: Aisha Yesufu Blasts EFCC, Calls for Decriminalisation of Vote Buying

Ekiti Election: Aisha Yesufu Blasts EFCC, Calls for Decriminalisation of Vote Buying

Rights activist and chieftain of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Aisha Yesufu, has sparked a heated debate after she blasted the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) over alleged vote-buying during Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election, arguing that the practice should be decriminalised in Nigeria. Reacting to widespread reports of voter inducement in the election, Yesufu took to X (formerly Twitter) to express her frustration with the inability of authorities to curb the menace. She argued that law-abiding citizens are the ones who end up being punished while perpetrators buy votes and “waltz their way into office”. “At this rate, vote buying should be decriminalized in Nigeria. It does not make sense since it is those who are law abiding that gets punished for it!” she wrote. “They do not do the vote buying and they are schemed out while others buy votes and waltz their way into office. @officialEFCC ‘s eagle is blindfolded during election”. The activist also made a sarcastic suggestion, proposing that politicians abandon expensive campaigns and simply wait for Election Day to bargain with voters. “Instead of candidates wasting money on campaigns, let everyone wait for Election Day and bargain. The highest bidder wins and you save your money. This nonsense needs to stop,” she added.

Yesufu’s comments came amid a wave of allegations of electoral malpractice in the Ekiti governorship election, which featured 1,059,360 registered voters across 2,445 polling units. Reports from Aramoko Ekiti, the hometown of the mother of incumbent governor and APC candidate Biodun Oyebanji, suggested that multiple voters openly admitted to receiving cash to influence their choices. According to reports, some voters claimed they received ₦10,000 from agents of the All Progressives Congress (APC) and ₦2,000 from the African Democratic Congress (ADC). At Polling Unit 004, Chief Ologbodo’s House in Aramoko, party agents were allegedly seen approaching voters with cash offers openly. The ADC governorship candidate, Dare Bejide, also alleged vote-buying and cash distribution at his polling unit, while police and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) reportedly declined immediate response. Bejide claimed that some APC chieftains and supporters stormed the area with cash and political thugs, creating tension at the polling centre, and that his driver was assaulted and sustained injuries during the commotion.

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In a dramatic turn of events, operatives of the EFCC were reportedly chased away by angry voters at Polling Unit 10, Ward B, in Iyin-Ekiti. The anti-graft team arrived to crack down on suspected vote-buying but met stiff resistance from the crowd, with voters confronting the officials and demanding their immediate departure. Insisting there was no evidence of financial malpractice at their station, the confrontational voters successfully forced the operatives to leave the scene. Earlier in the day, a separate team of about ten anti-graft officials had also stormed Governor Oyebanji’s personal polling unit, Polling Unit 003 in Ikogosi, Ekiti West Local Government Area, to monitor the environment just after voting commenced, though no arrests were made.

Despite the allegations, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declared Governor Biodun Oyebanji of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner of the 2026 Ekiti State governorship election. The Returning Officer announced that Oyebanji secured a total of 319,224 votes to defeat his closest rivals: Oluwole Oluyede of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) with 40,543 votes, and Dare Bejide of the ADC with 12,872 votes. A total of 384,940 voters were accredited for the election, while 375,777 valid votes were recorded, with 6,332 votes rejected. The Movement for Credible Elections (MCE) has called on INEC and security agencies to immediately investigate allegations of vote-buying, pre-thumbprinted ballot papers, and the suspected distribution of uncollected Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) during the election. The group expressed particular concern over reports and videos circulating on social media suggesting attempts to compromise the integrity of the election. “Silence or inaction by relevant authorities, especially INEC, could further erode public trust in Nigeria’s democracy,” the group said.

Ekiti Election: Aisha Yesufu Blasts EFCC, Calls for Decriminalisation of Vote Buying