Yiaga Africa, a civil society organization, has raised concerns over alleged vote buying in the Ondo State governorship election held on Saturday.

According to Paul James, Yiaga Africa’s election programme manager, some politicians have been inducing voters with money, food items, and fertilizers.

Speaking on Arise Television, James revealed that politicians distributed between “N2,000 and N5,000” to voters at campaign rallies, alongside food items.

According to him, in October, fertilizers were also distributed to farmers, blurring the “lines between palliatives and vote buying.”

James expressed concerns that late-starting campaigns may be strategizing to buy votes on election day.

He urged security agencies and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to collaborate and safeguard the election’s integrity.

“We have called out to the anti-graft agencies and the Nigeria police to keep an eye on the process and ensure that people involved in nefarious activities are apprehended and brought to book.

“We expect the officers to be professional in the discharge of their duties,” James said.

The Ondo governorship election has three frontrunners: Lucky Aiyedatiwa of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Agboola Ajayi of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), and Abbas Mimiko of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

As the election unfolds, Yiaga Africa’s concerns highlight the challenges in ensuring a free and fair electoral process in Nigeria.