The bye-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) across 12 states on Saturday were overshadowed by widespread reports of vote buying, thuggery, abductions, and arrests of party officials and electoral staff.

The polls, held to fill vacant seats in two senatorial districts in Anambra and Edo, five federal constituencies in Edo, Jigawa, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo, and nine state constituencies in Adamawa, Anambra, Kaduna (2), Kano, Kogi, Niger, Taraba and Zamfara, were triggered by resignations, deaths, or court orders. Re-run elections also took place in Onitsha South 1 (Anambra) and Ghari/Tsanyawa (Kano).

Arrests in Ogun
In Ogun State, security operatives arrested two INEC staff and officials of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) at a hotel in Iperu-Remo, after a large sum of money allegedly meant for vote buying was found in their possession. A viral video showed one INEC officer admitting he was instructed by his supervisor to collect cash from politicians. The PDP, however, denied the allegation, insisting its members were being harassed.

Violence in Kano
In Kano State, police arrested 288 suspected thugs in Bagwai/Shanono and Ghari/Tsanyawa constituencies. Commissioner of Police Ibrahim Bakori said the violence scared voters away, while the All Progressives Congress (APC) called for cancellation of the polls, alleging armed disruptions and voter intimidation.

Abduction in Kaduna
In Kaduna, the PDP alleged that its House of Representatives candidate for Chikun/Kajuru, Princess Esther Ashivelli Dawaki, was abducted alongside 25 supporters by security operatives. The state PDP chairman, Edward Percy Masha, said the operatives stormed a hotel in search of a campaign official but took Dawaki and others when they could not find him.

Meanwhile, security agents also arrested a suspected vote buyer in Kaduna with ₦25.9 million in cash, allegedly meant to compromise voters.

Vote Buying in Oyo and Anambra
In Oyo, African Democratic Congress (ADC) candidate for Ibadan North, Femi Dexter Akin-Alamu, accused parties of engaging in “large-scale vote buying.” Similarly, in Anambra South, the ruling All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) was accused of offering voters between ₦10,000 and ₦25,000 to secure support in several local government areas, including the hometown of its candidate, Dr. Emma Nwachukwu.

Despite the heavy deployment of security, the by-elections were marred by irregularities, raising fresh concerns over electoral integrity and the persistence of money politics in Nigeria’s democratic process.