Tuesday, August 18, 2026 -The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed claims of ghost and hired voters during the Osun State governorship election, saying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System made such voting impossible.
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo
Oketola, also urged Nigerians to be wary of unverified information and videos
circulating online after the election.
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.
“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.”
Oketola spoke on ARISE NEWS on Monday following the August
15 governorship election won by Accord Party candidate, Governor Ademola
Adeleke, who polled 511,067 votes to defeat his closest challenger, All
Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji, with 444,815 votes.
Oketola said the election recorded 50.116 per cent voter
turnout, which he described as higher than that of other recent off-cycle
elections.
“Regarding voter apathy: yes, we know voter apathy is a
major problem in Nigerian elections. Apathy does not reward poor governance; it
enhances it. When people do not turn out to vote, they give their voice to the
minority.
“However, Osun broke a number of records. Since 2015, across
major off-cycle elections in recent years, there was none where we had the kind
of turnout recorded in Osun.
“According to our records, we had a 50.116% voter turnout in
that election. It is better than other off-cycle elections that have been
conducted. This shows that when solid preparedness meets collective resilience
on the part of the electorate, people turn out. The lesson is to plan very
well—get your planning and logistics right,” he said.
He added, “As the Independent National Electoral Commission,
our official voter turnout record is 50.116%.
“That is based on the number of PVCs collected and the
number of voters accredited.
“Voter turnout in that election was well above 50%, which is
higher than the overall average.”
Oketola said the peaceful conclusion of the election,
despite tensions before the poll, reflected what he described as a consistent
level of maturity in Nigeria’s democracy.
“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,” he stated.
He said the commission’s focus remained on conducting
elections within the legal framework.
“Our concern before, during, and after any election is to
conduct a free, fair, credible, and inclusive election guided by the legal
framework—the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and our regulations.
“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. Naturally, INEC will be a party
to the suit, because we acted as the referee in the match” he added.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Oketola said
recent off-cycle polls had served as test runs for INEC’s preparedness.
“Our mandate is to conduct credible elections for Nigerians.
Recent off-cycle elections serve as test runs for 2027.
“INEC is prepared to deliver free and fair elections, but we
require the cooperation of all stakeholders.
“Political parties must refrain from practices like
vote-buying. When security agencies manage threats effectively and INEC is
allowed to operate without unnecessary interference, standard electoral
processes can be maintained,” he assured.
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