The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has dismissed allegations of ghost and hired voters in the August 15 Osun State governorship election, insisting that the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, made such practices impossible.
Dayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, stated this while speaking on ARISE NEWS on Monday, two days after the election.
Oketola cautioned Nigerians against relying on unverified claims, photographs and videos circulating on social media in the aftermath of the poll.
‘We are in an age of AI, misinformation and disinformation. Not everything you see is true,’ he said.
According to him, voters could only participate after being duly registered and accredited at their designated polling units, a process he said BVAS has fully secured.
Adeleke wins with 511,067 votes. The election was won by the incumbent governor and candidate of the Accord Party, Ademola Adeleke, who polled 511,067 votes.
He defeated his closest challenger, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress, APC, who scored 444,815 votes.
Oketola disclosed that the election recorded a 50.116 percent voter turnout, a figure he described as higher than those recorded in several recent off-cycle elections.
He explained that the figure was based on the number of Permanent Voter Cards, PVCs, collected and voters accredited during the exercise.
While acknowledging that voter apathy remains a major challenge in Nigeria, he said the Osun election showed that effective preparation could encourage greater participation.
‘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.
The INEC spokesman also described the peaceful conclusion of the election as a sign of growing maturity in Nigeria’s democratic process, despite tensions and fears raised during the campaign period.
He reiterated that INEC’s responsibility is to conduct elections in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the commission’s regulations.
He added that candidates dissatisfied with the outcome are free to seek legal redress as provided by law.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Oketola described recent off-cycle elections as important tests of INEC’s preparedness.
He said the commission is ready to deliver free, fair and credible elections but stressed that it requires the cooperation of all stakeholders.
He called on political parties to desist from vote-buying and other practices capable of undermining the electoral process, and urged security agencies to effectively manage threats and allow INEC to carry out its duties without unnecessary interference.
‘INEC is prepared to deliver free and fair elections, but we require the cooperation of all stakeholders,’ he said.