Ondo Election: PDP’s Agboola Ajayi Slams INEC Over Slow Process and Vote-Buying Allegations
Ajayi Agboola, the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the Ondo governorship election, has raised serious concerns about the conduct of the election, accusing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of compromising the process and orchestrating delays to rig the outcome.
Agboola, a former deputy governor and one of the leading candidates in the race, made the allegations after casting his ballot at Polling Unit 004, Apoi Ward 2, Kiriboin, in Ese-Ado Local Government Area (LGA) of Ondo State. Speaking to the press shortly after voting, Agboola expressed frustration with the slow pace of the electoral process, which he described as a deliberate attempt to manipulate the election results.
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“The system is not perfect; things are not working,” Agboola told journalists, visibly upset. “It took more than 10 minutes to capture me, and I’m the PDP candidate. You can see the drama unfolding here. There are numerous complaints, and the situation is frustrating for everyone involved.”
The PDP candidate went on to suggest that the inefficiencies were part of a broader scheme to undermine the election’s credibility. “If INEC cannot successfully organise an election in just one state, we’re heading towards anarchy,” he warned. “This is deliberate. I believe the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Barr. Oluwatoyin Babalola, is part of the problem. We have said repeatedly that we do not trust her. She cannot be fair in overseeing this election.”
Agboola also expressed concern about reports of vote-buying and technical difficulties with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), a key component of the election’s integrity. “I have received numerous calls today from people complaining about vote-buying, and the BVAS is not working properly. It’s a shameful exercise, and Nigerians should call on Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of INEC. If he cannot do the job, he should step down. This election is totally compromised.”
