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Groups dismiss opposition claims on voter registration in Osun.
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PDP, ADC accused of political theatrics ahead of polls.
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INEC figures defended as consistent with past registration data.
Two regional organisations, the Northern Awareness Network (NAN) and the Yoruba Youth Council (YYC), have faulted allegations by the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) questioning the integrity of the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) voter registration statistics in Osun State and the wider South West.
The controversy followed INEC’s disclosure that Osun recorded 393,269 pre-registrations in its latest Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), the highest in the federation. Both PDP and ADC labelled the numbers “inflated and unrealistic,” but the claim was promptly countered by civil society voices.
YYC’s spokesperson, Saheed Adeola, dismissed the alarm raised as “unnecessary and disruptive,” noting that the figures align with the 232,880 registrants recorded in the 2021 exercise.
He argued that the opposition’s concerns were selective since other states, including the Federal Capital Territory, had higher turnout without similar criticisms.
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Similarly, NAN chairman, Salihu Sulaiman, accused opposition parties of attempting to delegitimise INEC ahead of the Osun governorship race.
“Baseless allegations against INEC are often tactics employed by parties anticipating defeat,” he said, warning against what he described as deliberate efforts to fuel distrust in democratic institutions.
Both groups stressed that the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process should not be undermined for partisan advantage, urging citizens to be wary of false narratives designed to cast doubt on INEC’s data.
