- No Ghost Voters In Osun Election, BVAS Prevented Illegal Voting – INEC
- Records 50.116% voter turnout
- Says Only registered, accredited voters could vote in Osun
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has dismissed claims of ghost and hired voters during the Osun State governorship election, saying the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, prevented unregistered persons from voting.
Eko Hot Blog reports that INEC’s Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Dayo Oketola, also urged Nigerians to disregard unverified claims and videos circulating on social media following the August 15 election.
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Speaking on ARISE NEWS on Monday, Oketola said voters could only participate after being registered and accredited for their designated polling units.
He said the deployment of BVAS had effectively eliminated the possibility of ghost voters or hired individuals voting in the election.
“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 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 said the Osun election recorded a 50.116 per cent voter turnout, describing the figure as higher than those recorded in several recent off-cycle elections.
According to him, the turnout was based on the number of Permanent Voter Cards collected and voters accredited during the election.
Oketola said the development demonstrated that improved electoral planning and logistics could encourage greater voter participation.
He, however, acknowledged voter apathy as a major challenge to Nigeria’s electoral process, warning that low participation could weaken democratic accountability.
He also described the peaceful conclusion of the Osun election as evidence of growing maturity in Nigeria’s democracy, despite tensions and fears that preceded the poll.
The Accord Party candidate and incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke, won the election with 511,067 votes, defeating the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who scored 444,815 votes.
Oketola said INEC remained focused on conducting elections in accordance with the Constitution, Electoral Act and the commission’s regulations.
He noted that candidates dissatisfied with the outcome were free to pursue legal remedies provided by law, adding that INEC would participate in any resulting litigation as the electoral umpire.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Oketola described recent off-cycle elections as important test runs for the commission.
He said INEC was prepared to deliver credible elections but would require the cooperation of political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders.
He also called on political parties to avoid practices such as vote-buying and urged security agencies to effectively manage threats to ensure the commission could operate without unnecessary interference.
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