INEC Dismisses Claims of Public Distrust, Cites Surge in Voter Registration

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has rejected suggestions that Nigerians no longer trust the country’s electoral system, describing such claims as unfounded and unsupported by evidence.

In recent weeks, several civil society and religious organisations have voiced concern over what they described as waning confidence in elections. But in a statement on Sunday, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, insisted that the facts point in the opposite direction, highlighting strong public turnout in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

“The claim that Nigerians have lost faith in the electoral process is more myth than reality, as those making it cannot back it up with facts” Oyekanmi said. He pointed to the enthusiastic participation of young voters in the current exercise as proof of confidence in the system.

The new phase of CVR began on August 18, 2025, with an online pre-registration portal that saw 69,376 people register within its first seven hours. By August 24, just a week later, registrations had risen to 1,379,342. Two weeks into the process, the figure jumped to 2,532,062 and by September 21, INEC confirmed that 5,385,060 Nigerians had uploaded their details to the platform.

Physical registration commenced on August 25. Within the first week, 72,274 people had either completed their online registration or signed up in person. By September 19, four weeks later, 764,695 registrations had been finalised—399,162 from online pre-registrants and 365,533 through direct physical sign-ups.

“No African country records these kinds of voter registration figures within one month,” Oyekanmi noted, stressing that the process must be completed in person under Sections 9(7) and 10(2) of the Electoral Act 2022.

Reflecting on the 2023 general election, Oyekanmi argued that it showcased the diversity of Nigeria’s democracy. He cited the most representative National Assembly since 1999, with seven political parties winning seats in the Senate and eight parties represented in the House of Representatives. The trend continued at the state level, where nine different parties secured seats in State Assemblies, and four parties won governorships.

He added that even recent bye-elections demonstrated citizens’ continued participation, countering claims of mass disillusionment.

Oyekanmi also questioned critics who, despite accusing INEC of failing, are among the loudest voices calling for the commission to take over the conduct of local government elections. “They cannot continue to walk on both sides of the road” he remarked.