As the Remo federal constituency by-election kicks off in Ogun State, a major controversy has emerged with the arrest of Abayomi Tella, the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), alongside other party officials and two personnel from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), over alleged vote buying.
The arrests took place at a hotel in Iperu-Remo, located in Ikenne Local Government Area, where large sums of money were reportedly found in their possession. A viral video circulating on social media shows the arrested individuals, including a male and female INEC official, being interrogated by a security operative.
In the footage, the unidentified interrogator claims that intelligence reports indicated the INEC officials were approached and paid by the PDP members to influence the outcome of the by-election. According to the operative, the arrest of the INEC staff led directly to the apprehension of the PDP officials at the hotel.
During questioning, the male INEC official admitted that he was sent by his supervisor to collect the cash from the politicians. However, Abayomi Tella, who identified himself as a PDP official in the video, denied any involvement, stating, “You are just showing money; I don’t know anything about it.”
The incident has sparked widespread attention and concern over the integrity of the electoral process in Ogun State.
