Rice-for-votes video sparks Osun election debate
A video showing an Osun businesswoman distributing rice to residents while urging them to support the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate has ignited debate online days before the state’s governorship election.
The woman, Alhaja Falilat Yusuf, popularly known as Ero-Arike, shared the video on TikTok, where she was seen handing out bags of rice branded with APC stickers. She also wore party-branded clothing featuring the APC logo and the image of its governorship candidate.
A video showing an Osun businesswoman distributing rice to residents while urging them to support the All Progressives Congress governorship candidate has ignited debate online days before the state’s governorship election.
The woman, Alhaja Falilat Yusuf, popularly known as Ero-Arike, shared the video on TikTok, where she was seen handing out bags of rice branded with APC stickers. She also wore party-branded clothing featuring the APC logo and the image of its governorship candidate.
Speaking in Yoruba during the distribution, Ero-Arike told recipients that the rice had been provided by the wife of a former Osun State governor, although that claim could not be independently verified. She encouraged beneficiaries to vote for the APC candidate and suggested that supporters should back the party after receiving the food items.
The video quickly gained traction on social media, drawing mixed reactions. While some users viewed the gesture as routine political mobilisation, others argued that distributing gifts while openly canvassing votes raises ethical and legal concerns.
One commenter, identified as 9JA Next, noted that offering food, cash or other items while directly or indirectly seeking electoral support could amount to voter inducement. Other users lamented the role of poverty in electoral politics, arguing that economic hardship often leaves voters vulnerable to such influence.
However, some respondents shifted attention to the broader electoral process, stressing the need for a peaceful, credible and transparent election regardless of political affiliations.
The controversy comes ahead of the August 15 governorship election in Osun State, where major contenders include incumbent governor Ademola Adeleke, APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji and ADC candidate Najeem Salaam.
With political tensions already heightened in the build-up to the poll, the viral video has added another layer to ongoing conversations about campaign conduct, voter influence and the integrity of the electoral process.
