Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
As Osun State voters head to the polls on Saturday, August 15, 2026, to elect a new governor, a chieftain of the All Progressives Congress has made a bold declaration that cuts against the grain of Nigeria's electoral reality: money, rice, bread and other material inducements will not determine the outcome of the election. Olatunbosun Oyintiloye, a former member of the Osun State House of Assembly and a prominent APC figure, told journalists in Osogbo on Friday that competence and credibility would play a far more decisive role in shaping voters' choices than temporary material benefits.
Oyintiloye's comments come at a time when allegations of vote-buying have dominated the political discourse in Osun State, with reports of political parties distributing cash, branded bread and rice to sway voters. According to multiple reports, both the APC and the Accord Party have been accused of engaging in a vote-buying jamboree across the state, with agents offering voters between N10,000 and N20,000 per vote. In some areas, viral videos have shown political mobilisers distributing "election rice" and warning voters of spiritual consequences if they collect the food and vote against the party.
But Oyintiloye, who has been a vocal critic of conduct he considers wasteful, insisted that the people of Osun are "intellectually sophisticated, politically conscious and highly educated," and that they are increasingly looking beyond temporary material benefits. Speaking to journalists, he argued that voters are more concerned about the dividends of democracy that would improve their lives, benefit their children and advance the development of the state. "These are issues that directly affect their future, and I believe they will weigh them carefully when making their choices at the polls," he said.
The APC chieftain acknowledged that money and other material inducements might form part of the political dynamics surrounding elections, but he stressed that they would not, on their own, determine who emerges victorious on Saturday. He noted that voters may accept money, rice, bread or other items offered by politicians, but accepting such materials does not necessarily translate into voting for those who offered them. According to him, the ballot remains personal, and voters can still make their final decisions based on their conscience and assessment of the candidates. "For me, the competence, credibility, capacity and track record of a candidate will matter far more than temporary inducements," Oyintiloye declared. "Osun voters are looking towards the future, and I believe their ultimate choice will be influenced by who they consider capable of providing sustainable and meaningful dividends of democracy."
Oyintiloye said the people of Osun want sound healthcare delivery, quality education at all levels, good road networks, employment opportunities, economic empowerment and inclusive governance. He urged the electorate to look beyond immediate material gains and consider the candidate with the vision, competence, credibility and capacity to deliver effective and inclusive governance for the people of Osun State.
The election, which is expected to be a two-horse race between incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party and APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, has been marked by violence and tension. More than 1.9 million registered voters who collected their Permanent Voter Cards are expected to cast their ballots. The build-up to the election has seen political gladiators exchanging brickbats and mudslinging, with many political actors reportedly abandoning their homes for hotels or secret locations to avoid being killed. The spate of violence has been most prevalent in Ijesaland, particularly Ilesa, Ijebu-Ijesa and Esa-Oke, where a substantial number of deaths have been recorded. While the clashes were reportedly cult-related, political parties have pointed accusing fingers at each other.
Oyintiloye's assertion that money and rice will not determine the outcome of the election stands in stark contrast to the lived reality of many voters who have become accustomed to the transactional nature of Nigerian politics. Yet his words carry weight, coming from a chieftain of the ruling party at a time when the APC is itself accused of deploying material inducements to secure votes. Whether his faith in the political consciousness of Osun voters will be borne out at the polls remains to be seen, but his intervention has added a voice of reason to a campaign that has been overshadowed by violence, vote-buying and the politics of stomach infrastructure. As one resident put it, "The people are hungry, but they are not blind." Saturday's election will determine whether that hunger translates into a vote for change or a continuation of the status quo.
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