RismadarVoice Reporters, August 17, 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed allegations that ghost and hired voters participated in the August 15 Osun State governorship election, insisting that the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System made such practices impossible.
INEC Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Dayo Oketola, also cautioned Nigerians against accepting unverified claims and videos circulating on social media following the election.
Speaking on Monday to the media, Oketola said the combination of voter registration and BVAS accreditation prevented unregistered persons from casting ballots.
He said the public should exercise caution, particularly as artificial intelligence and digital manipulation have made it increasingly difficult to distinguish authentic information from false content.
According to him, only voters who were duly registered and accredited for a particular polling unit could participate in the election.
The warning followed the governorship poll won by the incumbent governor and Accord Party candidate, Ademola Adeleke, who secured 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
Oketola said the election recorded a 50.116 per cent voter turnout, describing the figure as comparatively high among recent off-cycle elections in the country.
He noted that voter apathy remained a significant challenge to Nigeria’s electoral process but said the Osun election demonstrated that effective planning and voter mobilisation could improve participation.
According to him, INEC’s official turnout figure was calculated from the number of collected Permanent Voter Cards and voters accredited through the electoral system.
Oketola said the turnout exceeded 50 per cent, making it higher than the overall average recorded in several other off-cycle elections.
The commission’s spokesperson also described the peaceful conclusion of the Osun election as an indication of growing democratic maturity in Nigeria.
He said the election was conducted despite heightened tension and what he described as fear-inducing campaigns in the period leading up to the poll.
Oketola stressed that INEC’s responsibility was to conduct elections in accordance with the Constitution, the Electoral Act and the commission’s regulations.
He added that candidates dissatisfied with the outcome remained free to challenge the result through the courts, noting that the legal framework provided a mechanism for resolving electoral disputes.
On preparations for the 2027 general elections, Oketola described recent off-cycle elections as useful opportunities for INEC to assess its readiness and improve electoral processes.
He said the commission was committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections but emphasised that the success of the process would require cooperation from political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders.
Oketola urged political parties to avoid electoral malpractice, particularly vote-buying, while calling on security agencies to effectively manage threats during elections.
He expressed confidence that when INEC is allowed to operate without undue interference and other stakeholders adhere to established rules, the country can maintain credible electoral processes.
