.. Electoral Body Cites BVAS, Says Only Registered, Accredited Voters Could Cast Ballots
… Imole Council Orders 30 LG structures To Document Victims Regardless Of Political Affiliation
Daud Olatunji
The Independent National Electoral Commission has dismissed claims of ghost and hired voters during the August 15 Osun State governorship election, insisting that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System prevented unregistered persons from participating in the poll.
The commission’s position came as the Imole Campaign Council began a statewide documentation of victims of election-related violence, directing its structures across the 30 local government areas of the state to identify and record people injured, families that lost loved ones and persons whose properties were damaged during the electoral process.
The twin developments emerged on Monday as attention shifted from the conduct of the election and declaration of results to the credibility of the process and the aftermath of the poll.
The election was won by the Accord Party candidate and incumbent governor, Ademola Adeleke.
Speaking on ARISE NEWS, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola, urged Nigerians to be wary of unverified videos, allegations and claims circulating on social media following the election.
Oketola said BVAS had strengthened voter accreditation and made it impossible for persons who were not registered and accredited to vote at a particular polling unit to participate in the election.
He specifically rejected claims involving so-called ghost and hired voters.
“With BVAS in play for any election in Nigeria, there is no room for ghost voters or hired voters,” Oketola said.
According to him, the electoral process requires voters to be registered and accredited for the specific polling unit where they intend to vote.
“You cannot vote in an election unless you have been registered and accredited for that specific polling unit. Be careful what you believe,” he added.
The INEC spokesman also cautioned Nigerians against accepting every video, photograph or allegation circulated online, warning that the growing use of artificial intelligence had made the spread of misinformation and disinformation more difficult to detect.
He urged members of the public to verify claims before sharing or relying on them, particularly those capable of undermining confidence in the electoral process.
The commission’s position is significant against the backdrop of post-election claims and counterclaims over the conduct of the Osun poll.
INEC maintained that allegations concerning voter eligibility should be subjected to verification against the accreditation process and available electoral records rather than unsubstantiated material circulating on social media.
Oketola disclosed that the election recorded a 50.116 per cent voter turnout, describing the figure as higher than those recorded in several recent off-cycle elections.
He attributed the turnout partly to improved planning and logistics as well as the willingness of voters to participate in the democratic process.
According to him, the development offered lessons on how voter apathy could be addressed in future elections.
He also described the conclusion of the election as largely peaceful and reflective of growing maturity in Nigeria’s democratic process, despite tensions and concerns that characterised the campaign period.
Oketola said the experience gained from the Osun election and other off-cycle polls would be useful to INEC as preparations begin to intensify for the 2027 general elections.
He reiterated the commission’s commitment to conducting free, fair and credible elections, while urging political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders to cooperate with INEC.
Meanwhile, the Imole Campaign Council has commenced a comprehensive post-election review focused on documenting victims of electoral violence before, during and immediately after the August 15 election.
The council’s spokesperson, Pelumi Olajengbesi, announced the exercise in a statement issued on Monday.
The council directed its structures in all 30 local government areas to immediately begin compiling comprehensive and verifiable records of persons affected by election-related violence.
The exercise, according to the council, will cover people who sustained injuries, families who lost loved ones, individuals whose homes or other properties were damaged or destroyed, and other identifiable victims of violence connected to the electoral process.
Significantly, the council said the exercise would not be restricted to members or supporters of the political party that backed Adeleke.
It directed its local government structures to document victims regardless of their political affiliation, party membership or voting preference.
The council said the decision was informed by the need to account for the human consequences of the election and ensure that victims were not forgotten after the political contest had ended.
“Violence against any citizen diminishes us all, and no family should be forgotten simply because of their political persuasion,” the council stated.
The campaign council expressed appreciation to God and the people of Osun State for the outcome of the election but acknowledged that its victory could not erase the pain suffered by families affected by violence.
It said responsible leadership required the authorities and political actors to recognise the human cost of elections and ensure that the experiences of victims were properly documented.
The council subsequently ordered its structures across the state to submit detailed and verifiable records of affected persons for further review and appropriate action.
“The election is over. Our common humanity must now take precedence over political differences,” the council added.
The documentation exercise introduces a new dimension to the post-election debate, shifting part of the focus from winners and losers to the people who may have suffered losses during the electoral process.
The developments have also underscored two critical issues likely to shape the post-election assessment of the Osun poll: the credibility of the voting process and the security of citizens participating in elections.
While INEC has rejected allegations of ghost and hired voters, citing BVAS and the accreditation requirements, the Imole council’s decision to compile records of victims of electoral violence highlights the need for a broader assessment of the election beyond the final results.
The proposed documentation could provide useful information on the scale and nature of election-related violence across the state, particularly if the records are independently verified and subjected to further investigation.
The council’s decision to include victims regardless of political affiliation could also help reduce the perception that post-election accountability is being pursued solely along partisan lines.
For INEC, however, the challenge remains to sustain public confidence in the electoral system by ensuring that complaints arising from the election are properly documented, investigated and addressed.
As political attention gradually shifts towards the 2027 general elections, the Osun experience is expected to feature prominently in discussions on electoral technology, voter accreditation, turnout, election security, misinformation and political accountability.
The commission’s defence of BVAS and the campaign council’s decision to document victims therefore present two sides of the post-election story: the technological safeguards deployed to protect the integrity of the ballot and the human consequences that may still arise around electoral contests..
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