CVR: Osun’s Lead In Online Registration Not Unprecedented – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) questioning Osun State’s high number of registrants during the ongoing online voter registration exercise, saying the state has previously led in online registration.

In a statement by Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, the commission recalled that in June 2021, during its first online pre-registration exercise, Osun State led with 154,893 pre-registrations.

“By the third week, 752,011 persons had pre-registered, with Osun at the front with 232,880. By the 11th week, 2,953,094 individuals had pre-registered, and Osun State remained in the lead with 402,619. As of 18 April 2022, Osun had 708,782 registrations, ahead of all other states,” Oyekanmi stated.

He noted that while online pre-registration is a preliminary step, all registrants must visit designated centres to complete the registration and have their biometrics captured. INEC applies its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to detect and remove duplicate registrations.

Oyekanmi urged Nigerians to rely on official data rather than conjecture. He said:

“Our duty as a commission is to ensure that only real persons, who meet the criteria in the 1999 Constitution and Electoral Act 2022, are registered.”

The commission disclosed that from August 18 to 24, a total of 1,379,342 Nigerians pre-registered online, with Osun leading at 393,269, followed by Lagos with 222,205, and the Federal Capital Territory with 107,682. The ADC had expressed suspicion over the high numbers in the South West.