Ekiti, Osun polls: Votes sold for N50,000, says EU observer group

The EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub reported that vote trading was widespread during the Ekiti and Osun governorship elections. It described the practice as increasingly organised and standardised. The Hub warned that it threatens voters’ freedom to choose and weakens the meaning of elections when money determines support.

The observers verified 84 incidents across the two elections. Vote trading accounted for 77% of those incidents overall. In Osun, it accounted for 69%. Party agents were identified as the main actors in at least 90% of the reported cases. Some voters were reportedly paid as much as N50,000.

The Hub said the problem was made worse by the absence of reported arrests, investigations, or prosecutions. It also praised the Independent Electoral Commission for an almost perfect election and security agencies for maintaining peace. The observers called for ward-level results to be uploaded, since many irregularities occur there.

Vote trading is the exchange of a voter’s electoral support for money. In the reported elections, voters were allegedly rewarded after showing that they had marked their ballots as demanded. This matters because the voter’s choice can become a financial transaction rather than a free decision.

Lawful political campaigning involves parties and candidates presenting messages, programmes, or appeals to win support. It does not depend on paying voters for proof that they selected a particular option. The Hub described a process in which a voter marked the ballot, displayed it to those keeping a tally, and received money after an agent confirmed compliance.

The reported payments reached N50,000 in some Osun cases. The Hub said vote trading was becoming organised and standardised. It also reported no arrests, investigations, or prosecutions connected to the scale of the alleged activity. That combination raises concerns about pressure on voters and weakened electoral choice.

The observers’ figures show that vote trading was not an isolated event. Across Ekiti and Osun, 77% of 84 verified incidents involved vote trading. The Hub separately reported that the share in Osun was 69%. These figures indicate that the practice formed a major part of the irregularities documented by the observers.

The reported payments were also substantial. Prof. Bolade Eyinla said he initially expected payments of about N10,000, but the Osun report indicated that some people received N50,000. The payment allegedly followed after a voter marked the ballot and displayed it to people recording compliance.

The Hub said party agents were the main actors in at least 90% of the vote-trading cases. It also said there had been no reported arrests, investigations, or prosecutions despite the magnitude of the activity. The observers warned that continued inaction could deepen a sense of impunity around elections.

The reported vote-buying process turned a ballot into something that could be checked before payment. A voter first marked the ballot paper to indicate a preferred candidate or party. The voter then brought the marked ballot up for inspection by people who were recording or tallying choices.

According to Prof. Bolade Eyinla, an agent confirmed that the voter had done what was demanded. Payment followed that confirmation. The Hub’s account therefore described a chain of marking, showing, verification, and payment. The report from Osun indicated that some voters received N50,000, higher than the roughly N10,000 payment Eyinla had initially expected.

The process matters because it places pressure on the secrecy and independence of voting. The Hub said party agents were the main actors in at least 90% of vote-trading incidents. It also reported no arrests, investigations, or prosecutions, suggesting that the alleged system continued without publicly reported punishment.

The observers identified party agents as the dominant participants in the reported vote-trading incidents. They were the main actors in at least 90% of the cases documented by the Hub. Their reported role included checking whether voters had marked ballots as demanded before payment was made.

The Hub did not describe security agencies as the main vote-trading actors. Instead, it commended them for ensuring peaceful polls in Ekiti and Osun. Prof. Eyinla nevertheless questioned whether arrests had been made, saying the Hub had not heard of reported arrests, investigations, or prosecutions despite the scale of the alleged activity.

This creates a contrast between peaceful election-day conditions and weakly reported enforcement against vote trading. The Hub said the absence of punishment had encouraged a sense of impunity. It also called for ward-level results to be uploaded, because it said many irregularities take place at ward level.

When votes are bought, voters may choose according to payment rather than personal preference. The EU-SDGN Election Observation Hub said this puts the sanctity of the vote and freedom of choice under severe threat. It also described vote trading as increasingly organised and standardised, making the concern broader than isolated misconduct.

The reported process involved voters marking ballots, showing them to people keeping a tally, and receiving payment after an agent confirmed compliance. Some voters reportedly received N50,000. Party agents were the main actors in at least 90% of the verified vote-trading cases. This mechanism can make a supposedly private choice observable to those offering money.

The Hub said it had not heard of reported arrests, investigations, or prosecutions in relation to the activity. Prof. Eyinla said that situation had produced a sense of impunity. The observers therefore urged stronger attention to irregularities, including publishing ward-level results where they said many problems occur.

A secret ballot is a voting arrangement in which a voter’s marked choice is kept private. It allows people to select a candidate or party without having to show the decision to agents, parties, or other observers. This privacy is fundamental because democratic choice depends on voters being able to decide freely.

The Hub’s account shows why secrecy matters. It said voters marked their ballot papers, then brought them up to show people who were keeping a tally. After an agent confirmed that the voter had done what was demanded, payment followed. Some voters reportedly received N50,000. This process made the marked choice visible to those controlling payment.

The Hub warned that vote trading threatens the sanctity of the vote and freedom of choice. It also reported that party agents were the main actors in at least 90% of cases. Protecting ballot secrecy, investigating alleged violations, and addressing impunity are therefore central concerns raised by the report.