“Osun PDP Accuses INEC of Manipulating Voter Registration Figures”

The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has raised concerns over the figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

According to INEC’s report, over 470,000 residents of Osun State initiated their registration online within two weeks. However, the commission recorded fewer than 600 completed in-person registrations in the same period.

In a statement signed by its Director of Media, Oladele Bamiji, the PDP described the sharp contrast as troubling, questioning the transparency, credibility, and efficiency of the process.

The party argued that field data from INEC staff in Osun showed over 25,000 completed registrations, yet the national report reduced the figure to just about 500. “This glaring disparity cannot be dismissed as a clerical error. It undermines public confidence in INEC ahead of the 2026 governorship and 2027 general elections,” the statement read.

The PDP demanded that INEC immediately correct what it called “manipulated data,” publish the authentic figure of more than 25,000 completed registrations, and provide verifiable evidence for the gap between online registrants and confirmed physical registrations.

The party further called for the release of detailed registration reports—including voter card transfers—while urging the commission to open the process to independent monitoring by political parties and civil society groups.

Meanwhile, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) had earlier questioned the figures, calling them “statistically implausible.”

INEC, however, dismissed the allegations. In a statement by its spokesperson, Musa Olurode, on behalf of the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mutiu Agboke, the commission maintained that Osun has a history of leading in online pre-registration, citing similar trends before the 2022 governorship and 2023 general elections.

INEC stressed that online registration is only the first step and does not make one a registered voter until validated through biometric capture. It described ADC’s claims as baseless, insisting the figures reflect Osun’s strong civic engagement.