Rita Odafe
Olalere Oyewumi, a federal lawmaker representing Osun State and a member of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), has openly acknowledged buying votes during the 2023 general elections, contributing to the prevalent issue of vote buying that undermined the credibility of the election conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
There were reports of vote buying during the last elections, prompting the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to deploy officials to some polling units.
In a widely circulated video, Oyewunmi, the Deputy Minority Senate Leader, recounted how his attempt to buy votes at the Onilu House (Ile Onilu) polling unit was thwarted by staunch All Progressives Congress (APC) supporters. He mentioned sending his aide with personal funds for vote buying on the eve of the election, only to have the money rejected by the voters.
Reacting to the revelation, the APC leadership, represented by chairman Tajudeen Lawal, asserted that the confession exposed the lack of fairness in the Osun election.
Lawal stated: “Senator Oyewumi’s admission confirms that the elections in Osun, which resulted in victories for all PDP candidates, including Governor Ademola Adeleke, were manipulated. This confession reveals Oyewumi’s desperation to unlawfully gain advantages, regardless of the disapproval of conscientious members of society.”
He added: “In a more civilized society, Senator Oyewumi would have no grounds to continue holding a position in the Senate, especially as the Minority Leader, considering his confession of engaging in vote buying during an election that fraudulently secured his victory. At this point, Senator Oyewumi should be subject to investigation by the appropriate law enforcement agency responsible for probing such political offenses involving a senator of Nigeria.”
