The Independent National Electoral Commission has rejected allegations of ghost and hired voters during the August 15 Osun State governorship election, saying the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System prevented unregistered persons from voting.
The commission also cautioned members of the public against relying on unverified videos and claims circulated on social media following the election.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Monday, INEC Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, said voters could only participate after being properly registered and accredited for their respective polling units.
He said, “We are in an age of AI, misinformation, and disinformation. Not everything you see is true. With BVAS in play for any election in Nigeria, there is no room for ghost voters or hired voters.”
Oketola added that the accreditation process made it impossible for people who were not registered for a particular polling unit to cast ballots.
He said, “You cannot vote in an election unless you have been registered and accredited for that specific polling unit. Be careful what you believe, particularly in an election driven by information management and mismanagement.”
The INEC official disclosed that the election recorded a voter turnout of 50.116 per cent, describing the figure as comparatively high among recent off-cycle elections.
According to him, the turnout demonstrated that improved electoral preparations, logistics and voter participation could help address voter apathy.
“According to our records, we had a 50.116 per cent voter turnout in that election. It is better than other off-cycle elections that have been conducted,” he said.
Oketola explained that the figure was calculated from the number of collected Permanent Voter Cards and voters who were accredited during the poll.
He said, “As the Independent National Electoral Commission, our official voter turnout record is 50.116 per cent. That is based on the number of PVCs collected and the number of voters accredited.”
He also described the peaceful conclusion of the election as an indication of growing democratic maturity in the country, despite tensions and concerns raised before the poll.
“Despite the fearmongering and the tension-soaked campaign in the run-up to the election, the Osun election has come and gone, and a winner has been declared. For me, this marks a consistent level of maturity for Nigeria’s democracy,” Oketola stated.
The Accord Party candidate and incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, was declared the winner after securing 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
Oketola said candidates dissatisfied with the outcome were free to challenge the result through the appropriate legal channels, noting that the electoral commission would participate in any resulting court proceedings.
He said, “The legal framework allows for legal steps to be taken by candidates who may be dissatisfied with the outcome. That is not a source of concern for us because the law provides for it.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Oketola said recent off-cycle elections had provided opportunities for INEC to assess its level of preparedness.
He assured Nigerians that the commission was committed to conducting credible elections but stressed that political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders must play their part.
“INEC is prepared to deliver free and fair elections, but we require the cooperation of all stakeholders,” he said.
He also urged political parties to avoid practices such as vote-buying and called for security agencies to effectively manage threats while allowing the commission to conduct elections without undue interference.
