The Executive Director of pro-democracy group Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has alleged that major political parties engaged in vote buying during the Edo State governorship election held on Saturday.

The election, which concluded with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) declaring Monday Okpebholo of the All Progressives Congress (APC) as the winner, has drawn scrutiny from various civil society organizations.

Itodo in an interview with Channels TV, noted that observers from Yiaga Africa and other groups reported instances of voter bribery, with parties distributing between ₦5,000 and ₦10,000 to influence voters at polling stations.

Naija News had earlier reported that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has rejected the outcome of the governorship election.

PDP on Sunday, declared that its candidate, Asue Ighodalo, won the 2024 governorship election.

The party, in a statement released through its National Publicity Secretary, Debo Ologunagba, insisted that the results of the Edo State Governorship election, as garnered by its polling agents across the State, indicate that the PDP candidate, Asue Ighodalo, clearly won the election.

Ologunagba added that the same position was echoed by the Chairman of the Edo PDP National Campaign Council, Governor Ahmadu Fintiri of Adamawa State and warned both the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the All Progressives Congress (APC) against tampering with the results.

The PDP accused the APC of trying to steal the mandate of its candidate.