The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims that ghost or hired voters participated in the Osun State governorship election, saying the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) prevented such practices.
Dayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, also urged Nigerians to exercise caution over unverified claims and videos circulating on social media following the election.
Speaking in an interview on Monday, Oketola said voters could only cast ballots after being registered and accredited for the specific polling unit where they were assigned.
“We are in an age of AI, misinformation and disinformation. Not everything you see is true,” he said, adding that the use of BVAS meant there was “no room for ghost voters or hired voters”.
Oketola spoke a day after INEC declared Accord Party candidate Ademola Adeleke the winner of the 15 August governorship election. Adeleke secured 511,067 votes, defeating his closest challenger, All Progressives Congress candidate Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
He said voter turnout stood at 50.116 per cent, describing the figure as comparatively high among recent off-cycle elections.
“According to our records, we had a 50.116 per cent voter turnout in that election,” Oketola said. “It is better than other off-cycle elections that have been conducted.”
He attributed the turnout to effective planning and logistics, as well as the willingness of voters to participate in the electoral process.
Oketola acknowledged that voter apathy remained a major challenge in Nigerian elections, warning that low participation could allow a minority of voters to determine electoral outcomes.
“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,” he said.
“For me, this marks a consistent level of maturity for Nigeria’s democracy.”
INEC had conducted the Osun governorship election on 15 August 2026.
