By Peter Omopo
29th August 2025
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations by opposition parties questioning the integrity of voter registration figures from the South-West, insisting the numbers align with historical registration patterns.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the Labour Party (LP) had on Thursday faulted INEC’s data showing that Osun State recorded nearly 400,000 new pre-registrations within one week of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
In a statement signed by its Acting National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC described the figures as “statistically implausible,” calling for a forensic audit. The party noted that Osun added only 275,815 new voters between 2019 and 2023, making the sudden surge within days suspicious.
Similarly, the LP’s Interim National Publicity Secretary, Tony Akeni, accused INEC of preparing ground for electoral manipulation. “We are tired of INEC’s shenanigans,” he told The PUNCH. “Even their claim of registering prison inmates is fraudulent. Nigerians must remain vigilant so that we don’t see names like Michael Jackson and Donald Trump on our voter register in 2027.”
However, the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) dismissed the opposition’s concerns as alarmist. Its spokesperson, Ejimofor Opara, said INEC’s credibility was not in doubt and urged political parties to focus on mobilising members for registration rather than casting aspersions.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Osun State acknowledged that the numbers were “alarming” but suggested they could also reflect the people’s enthusiasm ahead of elections. The All Progressives Congress (APC) in the state declined to comment on the figures, saying only INEC could provide explanations.
In response, INEC, through its Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, defended the figures, stressing that they were consistent with previous CVR exercises. He recalled that in 2021, Osun State also led pre-registrations, reaching over 700,000 by April 2022.
“The current trend mirrors what occurred during the last CVR when Osun consistently topped the registration chart. Within 24 hours of the 2021 portal launch, over 59,000 accounts were created, with Osun leading. By the 11th week, Osun had more than 402,000 pre-registrations,” Oyekanmi explained.
He clarified that all online registrants are required to complete the process in person, where biometric verification is carried out to prevent double registration. INEC also uses its Automated Biometric Identification System to detect anomalies.
INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, noting that it has always published weekly registration updates and subjected voter lists to public scrutiny. The commission urged political parties to avoid speculation and rely on official data.
“As a Commission, our duty is to ensure that only real, eligible Nigerians are captured in the register. We appeal to citizens to exercise caution in making claims that are not supported by verifiable data,” Oyekanmi said.
