CVR: Your Southwest pre-registration figures ‘statistically implausible’ — ADC tells INEC

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has challenged the voter pre-registration figures released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), calling the numbers for the Southwest geopolitical zone, particularly Osun State, “statistically implausible.”

In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC warned that the figures, which show nearly 400,000 new registrations in Osun State in just seven days, are suspicious and could undermine the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

According to the party’s statement, Osun State’s reported 393,269 new pre-registrations in one week are extraordinary when compared to its historical data.

The party noted that Osun added only 275,815 new voters over a four-year period between 2019 and 2023. The party also highlighted that the total number of votes cast in the 2022 Osun State governorship election was 823,124, making the current pre-registration figures highly improbable.

The party claims that the Southwest zone alone accounts for an “astonishing 67 percent” of the total national pre-registrations.

ALSO READ: ADC to INEC: How did Osun register more voters in seven days than four years?

In contrast, the entire Southeast recorded just 1,998 new pre-registrations. The statement points out that three states—Osun, Lagos, and Ogun—collectively make up 54.2 percent of all pre-registrations, while five states in the Southeast and Northeast combined barely managed 0.2 percent.

“The anomalies become even more glaring when viewed in the context of the overall registration report. Across the six geopolitical zones, the South West alone accounts for 848,359 pre-registrations, an astonishing 67 percent of the national total. By contrast, the entire South East recorded just 1,998 pre-registrations. To further illustrate, three states—Osun, Lagos, and Ogun—make up 54.2 percent of all pre-registrations in Nigeria, while five states combined—Ebonyi, Imo, Enugu, Abia, and Adamawa—barely recorded 4,153, or 0.2 percent, while the entire North East recorded just 6.1 percent.”

The party called on INEC to provide a comprehensive explanation for the discrepancies and to publish a forensic audit of the data, including server logs and regional access reports.

“These fantastic figures suggest either another technical “glitch” in INEC’s digital registration system, or a more troubling possibility of deliberate manipulation of data to lay the ground for a more sinister agenda in the coming elections. In either case, INEC has some explanations to give.

“We must be clear: the voter register is the foundation upon which the entire electoral process rests. If the foundation is compromised, it brings the integrity of the elections into question. Nigerians still remember the bitter consequences of flawed voter rolls and “technical glitches” in past elections. Our democracy cannot withstand another one,” the party said.

The ADC also urged other opposition parties, election monitoring groups, and international partners to join in demanding clarity and accountability from the electoral body.

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