Police Service Commission Reports Vote Buying, Commends Security Performance in Ondo Governorship Election.
The Police Service Commission (PSC) has acknowledged incidents of vote buying at some polling centers during the Ondo State governorship election, held on Saturday.
In its interim report, PSC spokesperson Ikechukwu Ani expressed concern over the persistence of vote buying in Nigerian elections. “There were reports of pockets of vote buying in some voting centers, which have unfortunately become a recurring issue in the country’s electoral process,” Ani stated.
Despite this, the PSC commended the overall performance of security personnel deployed during the election, particularly the police.
“The Commission expressed satisfaction with the performance of security officers, who arrived at voting centers on time and carried out their duties with civility, firmness, and professionalism,” Ani noted.
Deputy Inspector General of Police Sylvester Abiodun Alabi, overseeing the election’s security management, was praised for seamless deployment of personnel across the state. He was supported by senior officers, including AIG Benneth Igwe, Ondo State Commissioner of Police Abayomi Oladipo Peter, and CP Olatunji Disu of the Federal Capital Territory.
PSC monitors reported that the election security was “generally credible and above average,” with commendations from the Civil Society Situation Room, which also praised the PSC for its proactive oversight of police conduct.
The PSC’s observations underscore both the progress in security management during elections and the continuing challenge of addressing vote buying in Nigeria's democratic process.
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