By David Akinadewo-Adekahunsi 

During the ongoing Ondo State governorship election, a suspected vote buyer was arrested on Saturday at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007, near St. Stephen’s Primary School in Akure.

Officials of the Department of State Services (DSS) were said to have apprehended the individual with two bags of cash, allegedly intended for voter inducement.

According to a security source, the seized bags contained millions of naira, raising concerns about the influence of money in the electoral process.

Another source, affiliated with one of the two leading political parties in the state, disclosed that voters across the three senatorial zones were being offered between N20,000 and N30,000 per vote.

This incident has cast a spotlight on the pervasive issue of vote-buying, which has continued to undermine Nigeria’s electoral integrity.

Observers have called on security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to intensify efforts to curb such practices and ensure a free, fair, and credible election.