(African Journal of Politics and Administrative Studies (AJPAS), 2025) Braimah, Frederick I.; Fajimbola, Joshua O.
This study critically examines the trend of vote buying in Nigeria, specifically during the 2024 off-cycle elections in Edo and Ondo States. Grounded in clientelism and rational choice theories, it explores how voter logistics — including transport and food — are used as veiled forms of inducement. The study, based on secondary data and analyzed using Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA), finds that poverty, institutional weakness, and political patronage foster vote buying. Recommendations include stronger legal enforcement, increased funding for voter education, and reforms to deter vote trading.