The age-long puzzle of why parties attempt to buy votes when the ballot is secret and people could simply accept campaign handouts and then vote as they wish seems to have been resolved by the efficacy of “see and buy” method in Nigeria. Since political power is perceived as a sure means to gaining state resources for personal enrichment, disenchanted citizens often anticipate financial incentives during electioneering period. Employing participant-observation, surveys and desk research methods of data gathering in relation to off-cycle elections in Nigeria, this study provides useful insights into how democratic systems can innovatively address such threats given that the Ekiti State gubernatorial elections display significant differences from the context in which much of the literature on vote buying was developed. While issues around vote-buying have received considerable scholarly attention with emphasis on national elections, what Ekiti context presents is an interesting research study of off-cycle elections in a homogenous community with long history of dignity, extensive political awareness, resilience, contentment, and communal living.