The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims of ghost and hired voters in the August 15 Osun State governorship election, saying the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) made such voting impossible.
The commission also cautioned Nigerians against relying on unverified videos and information circulated on social media following the election.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola, gave the clarification on ARISE NEWS on Monday while speaking on the conduct and outcome of the poll.
Oketola said voters had to be registered and accredited at their designated polling units before they could participate 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,” he said.
He added, “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 spokesman also disclosed that the election recorded 50.116 per cent voter turnout, describing the figure as one of the highest recorded in recent off-cycle elections.
“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,” Oketola said.
He attributed the turnout to improved electoral preparedness and the willingness of voters to participate in the democratic process.
According to him, the outcome also demonstrated that adequate planning and logistics could help address voter apathy during elections.
Oketola further described the peaceful conclusion of the poll as an indication of growing democratic maturity in Nigeria, despite tensions recorded during the electioneering period.
“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 said.
Accord Party candidate and incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke won the election with 511,067 votes, defeating APC candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
