THE ongoing by-election in Remo Federal Constituency, Ogun State, took a dramatic turn on Saturday as security operatives arrested the state chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Abayomi Tella, alongside two officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for alleged vote buying.
The suspects were reportedly caught in Iperu with large sums of cash allegedly meant to bribe election officials and influence voters in the tightly contested election.
According to security sources, they were arrested in the early hours of Saturday and have since provided “useful information” to investigators on the alleged plan to compromise the electoral process.
In a swift response, the Ogun PDP condemned the arrest, describing it as a deliberate ploy to weaken the opposition ahead of the polls.
Party officials alleged that Tella was arrested in his hotel in what they termed a politically motivated operation designed to tilt the election in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
The PDP insisted that the move was an attempt to pave the way for the APC to manipulate the by-election outcome, vowing to resist what it called “electoral intimidation and harassment.”
Meanwhile, Ogun State Governor Dapo Abiodun cast his vote at Osanyin Ward Three, Unit 002, Iperu, where he expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the process.
Abiodun commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as a seamless and transparent exercise at his polling unit.
“This morning, at the ongoing by-election for Remo Federal Constituency, I exercised my civic duty by casting my vote at PU 002, Ward 3, Ita-Osanyin, Iperu, in Ikenne Local Government Area,” the governor said.
He further lauded the peaceful atmosphere and voter turnout, describing it as an encouraging sign that citizens were eager to participate in shaping the country’s democracy.
The arrests of both opposition leaders and electoral officials have heightened tension around the by-election, which is being closely monitored given the high stakes between the PDP and APC in Ogun State.
The police have not yet issued a formal statement on the arrests, but sources within the command confirmed that the suspects are being interrogated.
