A supporter of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) was hospitalized on Saturday following a clash between supporters of the ADC and the All Progressives Congress (APC) at Unit 4, Ward 2, Ilawe-Ekiti, during the ongoing Ekiti State governorship election.

The incident, which briefly disrupted voting at the polling unit, reportedly stemmed from allegations of vote buying, leading to a confrontation among party supporters and security personnel.

ADC governorship candidate, Dare Bejide, who voted at the polling unit, accused political opponents of attempting to influence voters through the distribution of cash.

According to Bejide, individuals allegedly brought money into the area for distribution to voters, prompting his supporters to challenge the move. He further alleged that an APC chieftain arrived at the scene in a Toyota jeep carrying cash intended for the exercise.

The situation reportedly escalated when efforts were made to stop the alleged distribution, resulting in a heated exchange that turned violent.

“One of my aides was attacked by security men brought in by them, and he has been taken to the hospital,” Bejide claimed.

He added that the alleged cash distribution was reported to security authorities, but the development triggered panic and heightened tension around the polling unit.

Despite the disturbance, the ADC candidate praised officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for their conduct, noting that the election process had been peaceful and orderly before the incident.

“The electoral personnel have been very diligent, and everything was going on very well before the pandemonium started,” he said.

Bejide disclosed that normalcy was later restored after additional security operatives were deployed to the area, enabling voting to continue under tighter security. However, he noted that tension remained high among party supporters at the polling unit.