Dino Melaye, a former federal lawmaker, has questioned the effectiveness of vote buying as a strategy for securing electoral victory, citing the outcome of the recently concluded Osun State governorship election.
Melaye made the observation in a post on his official Facebook page on Monday, where he reflected on the election and its possible lessons ahead of the 2027 general elections.
He alleged that the All Progressives Congress (APC) spent about N70 billion to procure votes during the election but secured 444,816 votes.
According to Melaye, the outcome suggested that some voters allegedly accepted money from the ruling party but did not necessarily vote for its candidate.
“The implication is that more people collected APC money and voted for their conscience,” he wrote.
The former lawmaker said the development should serve as a lesson to Nigerians ahead of the 2027 elections, stressing the importance of allowing voters to make their choices freely at the polling booth.
Melaye further urged voters to remain guided by their conscience when casting their ballots, regardless of political inducements.
“2027, collect APC money and vote your conscience. APC till we meet again,” he added.
The allegation has not been independently verified and comes amid continued concerns over the influence of money and vote buying on Nigeria’s electoral process.
