Violence, vote-buying mar by-elections in Ogun, Kaduna, Kano

File: Damaged ballot box

Violence, vote-buying and low voter participation marred the by-elections conducted on Saturday in some states to fill vacant senatorial and House of Representatives’ seats.

The vacancies arose from the death and resignation of former occupants of the positions, prompting the Independent National Electoral Commission to declare the seats vacant.

According to INEC, a total of 3,553,659 registered voters were eligible to participate in the by-elections, distributed across 32 local government areas, 356 wards, and 6,987 polling units.

The by-elections were to hold in 12 states.

Ogun State

In Ogun State, the exercise took a dramatic turn when security operatives arrested two chieftains of the Peoples Democratic Party and two others suspected to be INEC officials.

The suspects, including the state PDP chairman, Abayomi Tella, were arrested with large sums of cash allegedly meant for vote-buying during the Remo Federal Constituency House of Representatives by-election.

Sunday PUNCH gathered that the suspects were picked up in the early hours in a hotel in Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of the state.

In a viral video, the suspected INEC officials, who identified themselves simply as Constance and Amina, were seen squatting as security agents questioned them.

The officer interrogating them said intelligence reports indicated that the INEC staff had earlier been contacted and given a large sum of money by party officials for vote buying during the by-election.

A voice accompanying the video said, “At the early hours of today, August 16, 2025, these people, including two INEC staff, were arrested. The INEC staff were posted here for the House of Representatives by-election for the Remo Federal constituency.