A campaign convoy linked to the All Progressives Congress in Ekiti State has come under sharp criticism after a video emerged showing campaigners throwing loaves of bread at residents from a moving truck, prompting accusations of dehumanising treatment ahead of this Saturday’s election.
The viral footage, recorded on a road in what appears to be a semi-urban area of Ekiti State, shows a yellow campaign truck with posters urging people to “Vote” and “Hope 2026” alongside a black SUV driving through a community.
Men on the truck are seen hurling bread to people running alongside and behind the vehicles, who scramble to collect the loaves.
The poster of the video, social media user Daddy Leo, appealed directly to residents.
“Dear Ekiti people, this Saturday please vote for a party that treats you like actual humans, not the ones throwing bread at you like chickens. Send APC out with your votes,” he wrote.
The incident has ignited widespread debate online, with many commentators expressing dismay at what they describe as the weaponisation of poverty during political campaigns.
One observer noted, “The most painful part is not the bread. It is the message behind it: that citizens can be managed with handouts instead of governance.”
Ekiti State, known as the Fountain of Knowledge for its high number of professors and educated residents, has long grappled with economic hardship despite its academic reputation.
Handout politics and vote-buying allegations have featured in previous elections in the state and across Nigeria, where poverty often makes citizens vulnerable to immediate material inducements.
Supporters of the campaign style argue that distributing food items is a common form of outreach during rallies and that people willingly accept such gestures.
Critics, however, contend that it reinforces dependency and undermines the dignity of voters, especially in a state where many struggle with unemployment and inadequate infrastructure.
As Ekiti prepares to go to the polls this Saturday, the video has amplified calls for issue-based voting and better governance.
It highlights the persistent tension in Nigerian politics between short-term material appeals and the long-term demand for meaningful development and respect for citizens.
The development comes at a sensitive time when political parties are intensifying efforts to win voter loyalty.
Whether this controversy influences turnout and choices at the ballot box remains to be seen, but it has undoubtedly stirred emotions about how leaders engage with the electorate.
Oreoluwa is an accountant and a brand writer with a flair for journalism.
