The Osun State chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of lacking transparency in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), warning that the discrepancies in data released could be part of a plan to disenfranchise residents.
In a statement signed by the party’s State Director of Media, Hezekiah Oladele Bamiji, on Thursday, the PDP expressed concern over what it described as alarming inconsistencies in the statistics published by INEC.
“The Osun State Chapter of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has expressed deep concern over the statistics recently released by the @inecnigeria on the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR),” the statement began.
The party questioned the “wide disparity between the number of online pre-registrants and those who have completed the mandatory in-person registration exercise in Osun State.”
Citing INEC’s data, the Osun PDP noted: “According to INEC’s figures, over 470,000 Nigerians in Osun State have reportedly commenced their registration online within two weeks, however, less than 600 registrants were recorded to have completed the in-person process as at the time of the Commission’s report.”
Describing the situation as “a worrisome gap that raises serious questions about the transparency, credibility, and efficiency of the registration process,” the party argued that the figures undermine public trust.
“It is unacceptable for INEC to continue to churn out figures without creating a verifiable and transparent process for political parties and stakeholders to monitor, so much so that the exercise is, after all, mainly to allow Nigerian citizens to participate in the electoral process and not any personal or rocket sciences,” the statement continued.
The PDP further alleged manipulation in the reporting of Osun’s CVR figures, pointing to a glaring contradiction between field records and national data.
It said, “Beyond being a mere statistical error, the deliberate under-reporting of Osun’s CVR figure raises serious questions about the credibility of INEC’s data management.
“How could over 25,000 duly completed registrations physically captured by INEC officials across Osun suddenly shrink to just 500 registrations in the national office’s report? Such a gaping disparity cannot be waved aside as a clerical mistake.”
“It is inconceivable and unacceptable that Osun, a state where daily averages of 1,500 to 2,000 voters complete their in-person registration, would be falsely presented with only 500 completed registrations for the entire reporting period.
“This contradiction directly insults the intelligence of the electorate and dangerously undermines confidence in the commission’s preparedness for the August 2026 governorship election as well as 2027 general election.”
The party demanded urgent corrective measures from the electoral commission.
“The PDP therefore demands that INEC immediately correct this manipulated data, publish the authentic Osun figure of 25,000+ completed registrations without delay, and explain why such a wide gulf exists between field records and the national report,” it said.
“Anything short of this is nothing but a calculated attempt to disenfranchise Osun citizens and lay a foundation for electoral fraud, which our party and the people will never tolerate.”
The PDP also stressed the need for accountability in voter card transfers.
Warning of the dangers of a closed process, the party stated, “It is not enough for INEC to dump figures on Nigerians without giving room for authentication and verification. Our democracy demands openness, and Osun PDP will continue to insist on transparency in the voter registration process as the foundation of credible elections.”
It would be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) began nationwide physical, in-person voter registration on Monday, August 25, 2025.
“Meanwhile, the Commission is set to commence the in-person registration option on Monday, 25th August 2025 at our 811 State and Local Government offices nationwide from 9.00 am – 3.00 pm during weekdays (Monday to Friday) only,” INEC said in a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information & Voter Education Committee,” it said.
“This will enable those who prefer the in-person option to register and for the online pre-registrants to complete their registration.”
The Osun state governorship election is scheduled to take place in July 2026.
According to the data released by the commission on Tuesday, Osun maintained its lead with 474,372 pre-registrants, followed by Lagos (355,372) and Ogun (265,399).
