INEC voter registration figures spark alarming dispute

INEC voter registration figures in Osun spark dispute as ADC and Labour Party allege irregularities, but the commission defends its data

INEC voter registration figures have triggered a heated political storm, with opposition parties questioning the credibility of the data released from the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise.

Also read: INEC Continuous Voter Registration 2025 begins in Bauchi amid 2027 poll prep

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) and Labour Party both raised red flags over claims that the South-West accounted for 67 percent of pre-registrations, with Osun State alone recording nearly 400,000 new voters in just one week.

ADC’s Acting National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described the numbers as “statistically implausible,” demanding a forensic audit.

He noted that Osun had only added 275,815 voters in the entire four years between 2019 and 2023, making the latest figures difficult to accept.

The Labour Party, through its spokesman Tony Akeni, accused INEC of laying the groundwork for potential electoral fraud. Akeni urged Nigerians to remain vigilant, warning against fictitious names appearing in the 2027 register.

But INEC swiftly dismissed the allegations. Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, said the claims were unfounded and based on poor knowledge of historical data.

He explained that Osun had similarly led registration numbers during the 2021 exercise, recording over 700,000 pre-registrants by April 2022.

“Figures don’t lie,” said Ejimofor Opara, spokesperson for the All Progressives Grand Alliance, accusing the ADC of being alarmist.

The Osun State chapters of both the APC and PDP also acknowledged the figures but differed in their reactions. While the PDP admitted concern, it attributed the surge partly to voter readiness for the governorship poll.

INEC defended its credibility, stressing that all online pre-registrations must still be completed in person with biometric verification to prevent fraud.

It emphasized transparency by citing past practices of weekly data releases and periodic register displays for objections.

The commission assured Nigerians that it would continue publishing timely updates, urging the public to rely on official data rather than speculation.

Also read: INEC continuous voter registration records 69,376 sign-ups in 7 hours

The dispute underscores growing tension ahead of the next general election, with trust in electoral institutions once again at the center of Nigeria’s political discourse.