The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed concerns raised by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) over the recent voter registration figures in Osun State, insisting that the numbers are neither strange nor implausible.
Earlier in the week, INEC released its first-week report on the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), showing that over 1.3 million Nigerians had completed their online pre-registration within seven days. According to the commission, Osun State alone accounted for 393,269 of the entries, a figure that immediately drew scepticism from the ADC.
In a statement on Thursday, the ADC alleged that the numbers from Osun “defy both historical patterns and demographic realities,” describing them as statistically questionable.
But INEC, through the Chief Press Secretary to its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, pushed back against the claim, noting that the trend was not unprecedented.
“There is nothing extraordinary about the online pre-registration data,” the commission clarified. “With regard to Osun State, the pattern is similar to what occurred in June 2021 when the commission launched the online pre-registration for the first time.”
The electoral umpire further explained that surges in online registrations are often driven by heightened political interest, ease of access, and mobilisation efforts by political actors and civil society groups.
While assuring Nigerians of the integrity of the exercise, INEC urged political parties to focus on encouraging eligible citizens to complete their registrations at designated centres rather than casting aspersions on the process.
Observers say the pushback highlights a familiar pattern in Nigeria’s political space, where voter registration figures often trigger disputes ahead of election cycles.
