The governorship candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Ambassador Dare Bejide, has alleged that members of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were distributing money to voters at Ward 2, Polling Unit 004, Oke Omieja, Ilawe-Ekiti.
The incident caused a brief disruption at the polling unit before normal voting activities resumed.
Addressing journalists, Bejide said he arrived at the polling unit and met a peaceful atmosphere until the APC Vice Council Chairman allegedly arrived with a large sum of money.
He claimed that they objected to the situation, insisting that she should not be distributing money to people at the polling unit.
According to him, he said, if the necessary mechanisms had been put in place earlier, there would be no need for vote-buying on election day. He further alleged that those involved were from different wards and had no business at the polling unit.
He further alleged that they contacted Makinde Araoye, a Senior Special Assistant to the President, who later arrived at the scene.
According to Bejide, upon his arrival, Araoye allegedly began pushing him, leading to a confrontation during which his driver was reportedly struck on the head with a gun.
He said the incident has remained a source of concern since it occurred.
Bejide added that he reported the matter to the police, but claimed that officers informed him they could not pursue the suspects and abandoned their duty post.
He said the police subsequently advised him to make a formal report and forward it to Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, for further action.
The Senator representing Ekiti South Senatorial District, Senator Yemi Adaramodu, said his visit to the polling unit was to monitor the electoral process and assess the conduct of the exercise.
He noted that it is the responsibility of all stakeholders to ensure that the election is conducted peacefully and that everything is carried out in an orderly manner.
Upon his arrival in Ilawe at about 11:30 a.m., the Commissioner of Police in charge of the 2026 Ekiti State Governorship Election, CP Abayomi Shogunle, said he immediately assessed the situation and observed that voting was still ongoing.
According to him, while there may have been one or two disagreements there was a need to resolve such issues amicably to ensure the smooth conduct of the electoral process.
“I came here with my men and observed that voting is still ongoing. There may be one or two arguments, but there is a need to settle them amicably,” he said.