INEC Dismisses Claims of Irregularities in Osun Pre-Registration Figures

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has dismissed concerns raised by the African Democratic Congress, ADC over what the party described as “statistically implausible” on voter registration figures in Osun State, insisting that the numbers are consistent with past trends.

The ADC had on Wednesday warned that Nigeria’s 2027 general elections could be compromised if the registration figures recently released by INEC are not urgently addressed.

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, ADC argued that Osun’s figures defied both “historical patterns and demographic realities,” citing the Commission’s own data which showed that the state recorded 393,269 pre-registrations in just one week, higher than the 275,815 new voters recorded in the state over the entire four-year period between 2019 and 2023.

Reacting in a statement signed by INEC’s chief Press Secretary, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Commission described the claim as “nothing further from the truth.”

“The attention of the Independent National Electoral Commission has been drawn to a press statement attributed to the spokesperson of a political party on the data published by the Commission on the online pre-registration of voters.

“In particular, the statement claimed that the number of pre-registrants in Osun State defies “historical patterns and demographic realities.’ Nothing can be further from the truth,’ the statement read.

The INEC explained that it rolled out the online pre-registration of voters on August 18, 2025, followed by in-person registration on August 25, 2025. According to the data released for the first week, a total of 1,379,342 Nigerians pre-registered online. Osun State recorded the highest number with 393,269, followed by Lagos with 222,205, while the Federal Capital Territory came third with 107,682.

INEC stressed that the facts are publicly available and could have been verified before the allegation was made. 

While maintaining that it is not its responsibility to explain why some states record more registrants than others, the Commission emphasised its commitment to ensuring that only eligible Nigerians are captured in the exercise.