The governorship candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) in the August 15, 2026 election in Osun State, Salawu Mustapha, has accused the camp of Governor Ademola Adeleke and the Accord Party of engaging in alleged vote-buying ahead of the poll.
In a statement personally signed and released on Monday, Mustapha claimed that individuals he described as Accord Party agents working for the governor were allegedly offering voters N10,000 in exchange for their votes.
He argued that genuinely popular candidates do not need to rely on financial inducements to secure electoral victory.
The SDP candidate also questioned what he described as recent and unplanned financial disbursements by the Osun State Government shortly before the election.
He referred to the payment of N20,000 to civil servants and an increase in the amount reportedly paid to National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members serving in the state.
According to Mustapha, corps members who previously received a N5,000 monthly state allowance were also credited with N20,000.
He alleged that the payments were not originally captured in the state budget and suggested that the timing was intended to influence voters ahead of the election.
Mustapha further criticised the Adeleke administration over what he described as weak economic performance despite federal allocations received by the state.
He also claimed that the recent unfreezing of the Osun State Government’s account by President Bola Tinubu would only provide temporary relief, alleging that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) would eventually revisit what he described as alleged mismanagement of state funds.
However, the SDP candidate did not provide evidence to support the allegations.
He urged voters to reject attempts to influence their choices with cash, arguing that short-term payments would not improve their long-term welfare.
Mustapha also called on Osun residents not to return the incumbent administration to office and promised that the SDP would pursue transparent and accountable governance if elected on August 15, 2026.
