By Peace Erewunmi

The African Action Congress (AAC) governorship candidate in the 2026 Osun State election, Olajide Esan, has alleged that Governor Ademola Adeleke secured his victory through vote-buying and inducement rather than the strength of his policies or what he had to offer the people.

Esan made the allegation during an interview with ARISE NEWS on Wednesday, August 19, while reacting to the outcome of the governorship election.

According to him, widespread economic hardship and poverty had left many voters vulnerable to politicians offering immediate financial assistance during elections.

“Adeleke won the election, not really based on what he has to offer, but the capacity to promote inducement,” Esan said.

The AAC candidate claimed that vote-buying was not restricted to a single political party, alleging that both the All Progressives Congress (APC) and Accord Party participated in inducement during the election.

He argued that many Nigerians were increasingly voting based on immediate economic needs rather than long-term policies, governance and development plans.

Esan also questioned whether the election truly reflected the will of the people, saying the economic circumstances confronting Nigerians had made voters susceptible to financial inducement.

“I wouldn’t say I’m satisfied with the outcome because the way elections have been in this country doesn’t really reflect the will of the people because of the situation that people in Nigeria are in today,” he said.

The AAC candidate further criticised the two dominant political parties, arguing that the APC and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) represented similar political ideologies that, in his view, had contributed to Nigeria’s current challenges.

He also questioned the impact of the Adeleke administration on ordinary residents of Osun State, arguing that government spending should focus more on human capital development.

Esan described some of the projects being implemented by the state government as “kangaroo projects,” alleging that despite increased funds coming into the state, the benefits were not sufficiently visible among residents. These claims were presented as his political assessment and were not independently established in the report.

Despite the AAC’s poor showing at the poll, Esan rejected the suggestion that the party’s performance was simply due to inadequate campaigning. He said the party held rallies and programmes across local government areas in the state.

However, he acknowledged that the party needed to improve its voter education efforts.

According to him, one of the lessons from the election was that the party had not done enough to educate voters about the importance of their electoral choices.

Esan maintained that he was confident in the AAC’s manifesto and policy proposals, insisting that he believed his party presented stronger plans for the people of Osun State.

The allegations come amid continuing political debate over the conduct and outcome of the 2026 Osun governorship election, with different political actors offering contrasting explanations for Adeleke’s victory.

Esan’s allegations of vote-buying and inducement remain claims by the defeated candidate and should not be treated as established facts without independent verification or findings from the relevant electoral authorities.