Dare Bejide, governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) in the Ekiti governorship election, has alleged vote-buying and assault at his polling unit.
Bejide spoke while addressing police officers at his polling
unit in Ward 2, Ilawe-Ekiti, in Ekiti west LGA of the state.
The police team was on patrol as the vote progressed across
the state on Saturday.
The ADC candidate said he had repeatedly alerted security
operatives to the alleged distribution of money to voters before the situation
escalated.
“I have been calling the police for the past two hours,” he
said.
“There was a crisis here. I alerted the police officer here.
I told her that they were distributing money, but she said she couldn’t go
there. That was the beginning of the problem.”
The ADC candidate noted that voting had commenced peacefully
in his polling unit until allegations emerged that a woman was distributing
money to voters.
“We started on a very clean slate. I came here even before
the officials. And there was no problem until there were allegations that this
lady was distributing money,” he alleged.
“I confronted her. She called her boss. And the council
chairman came here and started abusing me.”
Bejide claimed that the council chairman, whom he said was
not from the polling unit, intervened in the matter, alongside a presidential
aide, who allegedly came with individuals he described as “fake policemen in
uniform”.
“It has been rancorous since morning here. I don’t believe
people should hang around here after voting. They should go home. But they are
distributing money from a certain arena,” Bejide claimed.
The ADC candidate further alleged that the presidential
aide, whom he identified as Makinde Olaoye, physically assaulted him and
attacked his driver.
“The SA to the president came here and pushed me. He beat my
driver to stupor, full of blood. He is in the hospital now. Is it because he is
SA to the president?” Bejide queried.
“He is not from this polling booth. His name is Makinde
Olaoye. He came here to push me. I am as old as his father… just because of an
election.”
"There were allegations that this lady was distributing money, and I confronted her. She called her boss. The council chairman came here and started abusing me."
— News Central TV (@NewsCentralTV) June 20, 2026
ADC Governorship Candidate in Ekiti State, Dare Bejide, says a vote-buying crisis at his polling unit led to… pic.twitter.com/5JQPOLJgo4
Responding, the police commissioner leading the patrol team
said officers were focused on maintaining security and ensuring a peaceful
voting process.
“We are on operational duty, and the assignment today is very
critical. And that is why you see me as a commissioner of police within your
ward and unit,” he said.
The commissioner said complaints arising from the election
could be formally submitted after the exercise.
“We may not be able to entertain your complaints now. But if
there are issues, you can come and either produce everything in writing or lay
complaints,” he said.
He added that additional personnel would be deployed to the
polling unit to prevent any breakdown of law and order.
“I am going to drop more manpower for you, so that they deal
with any opposition or force of harm that may invade your unit. But for now,
the area is calm, and we have already directed that those not voting should go home.
“The only thing I can do for you, as an institution, is to
provide an enabling environment. Every player should play the game according to
the rules,” the commissioner said.
The development follows an earlier allegation by Wole
Oluyede, candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), who accused security
operatives of suppressing voters and harassing party supporters in the ongoing
election.
As of the time of filing this report, the ruling All
Progressives Congress (APC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission
(INEC) have yet to react to the allegations.
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