Osun Election: Popular governors don’t buy votes, SDP candidate tells Adeleke

The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party in Osun State, Salawu Mustapha, has accused Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Accord Party of allegedly engaging in vote-buying ahead of the August 15 governorship election.

 

Mustapha made the allegation in a statement he personally signed and released to journalists, claiming that agents of the Accord Party were offering voters N10,000 under oath in exchange for their votes.

 

He condemned the alleged practice, saying a popular candidate should not need to buy votes to win an election.

 

The SDP candidate also raised concerns over what he described as sudden and unbudgeted financial disbursements by the state government shortly before the election.

 

He cited the payment of N20,000 to civil servants and an increase in the monthly allowance paid to National Youth Service Corps members serving in the state.

 

According to him, NYSC members who previously received N5,000 monthly from the state government were recently credited with N20,000.

 

Mustapha alleged that the payments were not provided for in the state budget and described them as an attempt to influence voters ahead of the election.

 

He said, “We must all condemn and criticise these actions. All these payments were not originally budgeted. A popular governor will not go so low to use government accounts to buy votes under the pretence of giving palliatives.”

 

Questioning the timing of the payments, particularly the increase in the allowance for corps members, Mustapha asked, “The critical question we must ask is why these monies are being paid just a few days before the election, if not for outright vote-buying?”

 

He also criticised the Adeleke administration over what he described as poor economic performance despite federal allocations accruing to the state.

 

The SDP candidate further alleged that the recent unfreezing of the state government’s account by President Bola Tinubu would only provide temporary relief, claiming that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission would revisit what he described as alleged mismanagement of state funds.

 

Mustapha, however, did not provide evidence to substantiate his allegations.

 

He urged Osun voters to reject attempts to influence their choices with cash, saying such payments would have little lasting impact on their welfare.

 

“I urge the electorate to protect their dignity and future. What lasting impact will a mere N10,000 have on your long-term well-being?” he asked.

 

Mustapha called on voters not to re-elect the Adeleke administration, promising that the SDP would provide transparent and accountable governance if elected.

 

He said, “We assure the citizens of Osun State that the current economic hardship and governance deficit will come to an end once the SDP is voted into power to birth a transparent and accountable administration.”