In the midst of the ongoing Ondo State governorship election, a suspected vote-buyer was apprehended by the Department of State Services (DSS) early on Saturday morning. The arrest took place around 9 am at Ward 4, Polling Unit 007, located outside St. Stephen’s Primary School in Akure, the state’s capital.

The suspect was found with two bags of cash, believed to be intended for voter bribery. This incident highlights concerns over vote-buying during the election, with reports suggesting that political parties, including the All Progressives Congress (APC) and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), may be involved. In particular, Irele Local Government Area has been a hotspot for such activities, where party agents were seen handing out signed papers to voters. These papers were reportedly used to collect money after voters cast their ballots, though the exact amounts remained unclear.

Meanwhile, in Ilaje Local Government Area, Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the APC’s candidate for governor and current deputy governor, cast his vote early at his designated polling unit. He arrived at 8:46 am and completed the process by 8:48 am, with his security detail accompanying him.

Despite the peaceful turnout, some voters experienced issues with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines. In areas like Polling Unit 004 in Ese-Odo Local Government, voters voiced frustrations about the malfunctioning equipment. One voter, Omotayo Akinlami, suggested that manual accreditation might be a better solution to ensure the election ran smoothly.