By Jelili Gbadamosi
Dino Melaye, a former federal lawmaker, has alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) spent about N70 billion to influence voters during the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
Melaye made the claim in a post on his official Facebook page on Monday while reflecting on the outcome of the election and its implications for the 2027 general elections.
According to the former lawmaker, the Osun election demonstrated that accepting money from politicians does not necessarily determine how voters eventually cast their ballots.
He alleged that many voters collected money from the ruling party but went ahead to vote according to their preferred candidates.
“Nigerians must learn from Osun election where APC spent a whopping 70 billion naira only to procure 444,816 votes plus rigging,” he wrote.
Melaye argued that the development showed that some voters were willing to accept financial inducements while still exercising their choice at the polling booth.
He therefore urged Nigerians to repeat what he described as the lesson from Osun during the 2027 elections.
“2027, collect APC money and vote your conscience. APC till we meet again,” Melaye added.
The allegation comes amid continuing debates over vote buying, electoral integrity and the influence of money in Nigeria’s political process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
