Viral Video: Osun Businesswoman Shares Rice, Calls for Votes for APC Candidate AMBO Ahead of August 15 Election

A viral video showing Osun-based businesswoman Alhaja Yusuf Falilat Arike, popularly known as Ero Arike, distributing rice to residents while campaigning for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, has sparked controversy on social media ahead of the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election.

The footage, which has circulated widely across Instagram, Facebook and X, shows Arike and her associates distributing packs of rice from a vehicle loaded with the staple food.

Several people seen around the distribution point were wearing APC-branded caps and clothing bearing the name of Oyebamiji, popularly known as AMBO, the APC candidate in the election.

In the video, Arike is heard praising Ekiti State Governor, Biodun Oyebanji, and claiming that the governor sent her to distribute the rice to residents.

She also appealed to voters to support the APC candidate in the forthcoming election.

“My people of Osun State, I told you that Oyebanji is a good man. He sent me to distribute rice to you. Vote for the APC candidate, Asiwaju Oyebanji. He will take care of you and your family,” she is quoted as saying in versions of the video shared online.

However, the reference to “Asiwaju Oyebanji” appears to be a mix-up in the circulating footage, as the APC’s Osun governorship candidate is Munirudeen Bola Oyebamiji, while Oyebanji is the governor of neighbouring Ekiti State.

The incident has generated heated reactions online, with some Nigerians questioning whether the distribution amounts to an attempt to influence voters through the provision of food items.

Some social media users described the development as a reflection of the economic hardship facing many Nigerians, particularly amid concerns over rising food prices and the declining purchasing power of households.

Others criticised what they described as the use of poverty as a campaign tool, with comments referring to the incident as the “Almajirization of Nigerians” and “slavery in high definition.”

However, the distribution has not been independently established as an act of vote-buying, and the circumstances surrounding who funded or supplied the rice remain unclear.

There is also no independent confirmation that Governor Oyebanji personally supplied the rice distributed in the video.

Oyebanji has publicly endorsed Oyebamiji and the APC campaign ahead of the Osun election and has participated in APC-related activities in the state, but there has been no direct public statement from him confirming that he authorised or supplied the rice featured in the viral footage.

Arike, an Iragbiji-based entrepreneur known for the Ero Arike balm brand, previously supported Governor Ademola Adeleke but defected to the APC in Boripe Local Government Area in July.

At the time, she reportedly cited dissatisfaction with the Adeleke administration and alleged that political promises made to her had not been fulfilled.

The controversy comes less than a week before Osun residents are scheduled to elect their governor on August 15, 2026.

Governor Ademola Adeleke, who is seeking another term, is contesting under the Accord Party, while Oyebamiji is the APC’s candidate.

The election has already generated intense political activity, with rival parties stepping up rallies, grassroots mobilisation and voter outreach across the state.

The latest viral footage has now added another layer to the campaign, renewing debate over poverty, campaign inducements, electoral ethics and the influence of material assistance on voters.

Nigeria’s electoral framework prohibits practices that amount to bribing or inducing voters, although concerns over enforcement and alleged vote-buying have repeatedly emerged during election periods.

With the election fast approaching, attention is expected to remain focused on campaign activities across Osun State and whether political parties and their supporters will adhere to electoral rules governing the conduct of the poll.

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