Vote Buying and Democratic Consolidation: A Case Study of 2020 Gubernatorial Election in Ondo State

—This study examines the impact of vote buying on democratic consolidation in Nigeria, focusing on the 2020 gubernatorial election in Ondo State. Mixed method approached involving qualitative and quantitative were employed for the data analysis, while primary data were gathered through administration of questionnaire and interviews, secondary data were sourced from books, journals newspapers, articles and observer's report of the election. The objective is to explores the prevalence of vote buying, mechanisms through which it operate, and its implications for the democratic process. Purposive Sampling techniques of 100 each qualify electoral candidates that participated in the election from the two selected local governments in Ondo west and Akoko north west areas of Ondo state were selected and tested at the .05 level of significant, Strongly agree (SA), Agree (A), Disagree (D) and Strongly Disagree (SD) was the available responses. The following three null hypotheses were raised to provide tentative answers, that there is no significant manifestation of vote buying, no significant factors encouraging vote buying and there is no significant impact of vote buying on the 2020 Governorship election in Ondo State. All the three null hypotheses that were employed were all rejected, the study review that there is manifestation of vote buying, there are factors encouraging vote buying and impact of vote buying were significant on the 2020 Governorship election in Ondo State. The findings suggest that vote buying undermines democratic consolidation by eroding public trust, encouraging political corruption and weakening institutional integrity. The study recommended among other things, the grass root poverty alleviation scheme, since it is germane in order to put an end to vote buying, Empowerment of EFCC and ICPC to investigate the source of all party finances, Re orientation on implication of Vote buying, as people should be reoriented on the implications of vote buying on the people and the society at large.