An APC supporter has been filmed distributing small portions of rice to residents in Osun State days before the August 15, 2026 governorship election, prompting debate over alleged vote inducement and “stomach infrastructure”.
The footage, shared on social media including by Instablog9ja on Monday, August 10, shows a woman in APC campaign clothing handing rice to a crowd, mostly women, in a community setting.
Rice Shared to Residents
The woman is seen wearing a blue APC campaign outfit and a hat bearing branding associated with the party’s Osun governorship candidate, Asiwaju Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO.
She distributes measured portions of rice, described in accompanying posts as about two dericas, while other supporters help with the exercise. The boot of a vehicle nearby is also shown containing additional packaged rice.
The exact location and identity of the woman were not independently confirmed in reports about the video.
Reactions Focus on Vote Inducement
The footage has attracted criticism from some Nigerians, with several commenters describing the distribution as “stomach infrastructure” and questioning whether the gesture amounts to an attempt to influence voters ahead of the election.
Some users expressed concern that political actors could take advantage of economic hardship to win support, while others argued that people facing hunger would naturally accept food offered to them.
Others noted that the practice of politicians distributing food and other items during election periods is not limited to one political party and has featured in previous Nigerian elections.
Osun Election Holds August 15
Oyebamiji, the APC candidate, is challenging incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking re-election under the Accord Party, alongside candidates from other political parties.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has fixed the Osun governorship election for August 15, 2026, with campaigns expected to end shortly before the poll.
Nigeria’s electoral laws prohibit vote-buying and other forms of inducement, although the extent to which individual food distributions constitute an electoral offence depends on the circumstances and available evidence.
No formal statement from the APC or the woman involved specifically addressing the video had been reported as of Monday.
