The Chief Press Secretary, (CPS), to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC), Dayo Oketola, has said the peaceful conclusion of the Osun State governorship election reflects a consistent level of maturity in Nigeria’s democratic process.
He made the remark in an interview on ARISE NEWS on Monday, following the just-concluded Osun State governorship election, where Accord Party candidate, Governor Ademola Adeleke, was declared the winner with 511,067 votes, defeating his closest rival, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
“Despite the fearmongering and the tension-soaked campaign in the run-up to the election, the Osun election has come and gone, and a winner has been declared. For me, this marks a consistent level of maturity for Nigeria’s democracy,” he stated.
He also addressed concerns over voter apathy, noting that while low voter turnout remains a major challenge in Nigerian elections, Osun recorded a 50.116 per cent turnout, which he said was higher than that of other recent off-cycle elections.
“Regarding voter apathy: yes, we know voter apathy is a major problem in Nigerian elections. Apathy does not reward poor governance; it enhances it. When people do not turn out to vote, they give their voice to the minority.
“However, Osun broke a number of records. Since 2015, across major off-cycle elections in recent years, there was none where we had the kind of turnout recorded in Osun. According to our records, we had a 50.116% voter turnout in that election. It is better than other off-cycle elections that have been conducted. This shows that when solid preparedness meets collective resilience on the part of the electorate, people turn out. The lesson is to plan very well—get your planning and logistics right,” he said.
Oketola, however, clarified that the official voter turnout recorded by INEC was 50.116 per cent, noting that the figure was based on the number of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) collected and voters accredited during the election. He said INEC, as the statutory body responsible for conducting elections and announcing results, was empowered to provide official data from elections it conducts.
“As the Independent National Electoral Commission, our official voter turnout record is 50.116%. That is based on the number of PVCs collected and the number of voters accredited. Voter turnout in that election was well above 50%, which is higher than the overall average.
“There are many players in this ecosystem with different parameters to determine data, which is within their right. But INEC, which is statutorily empowered to conduct elections and announce results, is also empowered to provide the official data from every election we conduct,” he explained.
Dismissing reports of hired voters during the election, Oketola warned Nigerians against believing unverified information and videos circulating online. He said the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) makes it impossible for unregistered persons to vote, as voters must be registered and accredited for their specific polling units.
“We are in an age of AI, misinformation, and disinformation. Not everything you see is true. With BVAS in play for any election in Nigeria, there is no room for ghost voters or hired voters. You cannot vote in an election unless you have been registered and accredited for that specific polling unit. Be careful what you believe, particularly in an election driven by information management and mismanagement.”
Addressing reports of political violence during the election, Oketola said INEC never lost control of the process, noting that a comprehensive pre-election assessment had identified areas considered vulnerable to violence. He said the commission subsequently deployed an intelligence-led security strategy, with security presence more than doubled in those areas to contain potential threats.
“There was no way we could have lost control of an election that was properly planned. Before this election, we carried out a comprehensive pre-election assessment in Osun. Areas of concern across local governments were highlighted due to potential threats of violence.
“Because of that, an intelligence-led security deployment was executed. In those highlighted areas, we more than doubled the security presence. The expectation that control would be lost was never a reality,” he maintained.
Reacting to the APC Campaign Council’s decision to study the election results and consider legal redress, Oketola said such actions do not fall within INEC’s purview, stressing that the commission remains impartial as the electoral umpire.
“Democracy thrives within an acceptable political culture built by the people. We need the right democratic culture to nurture the system we desire. As an electoral umpire, we act like a referee in a match—unbiased and without any candidate in mind. What happens after results are declared falls outside our purview,” he said.
On the possibility of a legal challenge by the APC over the election results, Oketola said INEC was not concerned, noting that the law provides avenues for candidates dissatisfied with the outcome to seek redress. He added that if the APC decides to approach the court, INEC would naturally be a party to the suit, having conducted the election as the electoral umpire.
“Our concern before, during, and after any election is to conduct a free, fair, credible, and inclusive election guided by the legal framework—the Constitution, the Electoral Act, and our regulations. The legal framework allows for legal steps to be taken by candidates who may be dissatisfied with the outcome. That is not a source of concern for us because the law provides for it. Naturally, INEC will be a party to the suit, because we acted as the referee in the match” he added.
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, Oketola said vote-buying remains a major concern, but stressed that tackling the practice requires collective action. He said the Electoral Act provides penalties for both buyers and sellers, while INEC relies on security and anti-graft agencies, including the EFCC, ICPC, police and civil defence, to make arrests and enforce the law.
“Since Professor Mahmood Yakubu came into office as Chairman, he has consistently condemned vote-buying, which acts as a poison to our electoral space. Regarding vote-buying, the Electoral Act provides legal liabilities for both buyers and sellers. As an electoral body, INEC does not hold prosecutorial or arrest powers on election day. We rely on partner anti-graft and security agencies—such as the EFCC, ICPC, police, and civil defense—to make arrests. They were deployed in sufficient numbers and carried out their assignments diligently.
“We also saw instances of citizens and voters actively stopping potential vote-buyers near polling units. Vote-buying is a societal issue that requires all Nigerians to tackle. INEC does not buy or sell votes,” he stressed.
Addressing concerns over a report by YIAGA Africa, which indicated that the IReV upload stalled at 3,292 polling units for more than three hours, Oketola said the interruption lasted about two hours, attributing the delay to connectivity gaps and discrepancies between uploaded result sheets and BVAS accreditation data.
“While observer groups are key partners, INEC remains the authentic source of election data. There was a lull of about two hours—not three hours. When results are uploaded from polling units, connectivity gaps can occur, even in major cities. If uploads fail due to network coverage, officials must move to the ward collation centers to complete the transmission.
“Additionally, if an uploaded result sheet does not match the accreditation data generated by the BVAS, the IReV system temporarily flags it. Technical officers (RATECHs) then review and resolve these discrepancies before the upload completes,” he said.
On reports of violent clashes between supporters of different political parties in Ede South Local Government, Oketola said such incidents did not invalidate the election results, noting that the BVAs ensures the number of accredited voters corresponds with votes cast at each polling unit. He added that security agencies were deployed to manage and contain the disruptions.
“Elections do not exist in complete isolation from incidents or equipment malfunctions, which are addressed as they arise. With the BVAS in place, the number of accredited voters must correspond directly with the votes cast from that polling unit. Once successfully uploaded to IReV, those votes are secured. Security agencies were on the ground to manage and contain those disruptions.”
Looking ahead to the 2027 general elections, the CPS to INEC Chairman said recent off-cycle elections have served as test runs for INEC’s preparedness. He assured that the Commission remains committed to conducting free, fair and credible elections, but stressed that achieving this requires the cooperation of political parties, security agencies and other stakeholders.
“Our mandate is to conduct credible elections for Nigerians. Recent off-cycle elections serve as test runs for 2027. INEC is prepared to deliver free and fair elections, but we require the cooperation of all stakeholders. Political parties must refrain from practices like vote-buying. When security agencies manage threats effectively and INEC is allowed to operate without unnecessary interference, standard electoral processes can be maintained,” he assured.
Concluding, Oketola urged Nigerians to trust the electoral process, assuring them that technology would help ensure their votes count and encouraging full participation in the 2027 elections.
“INEC is a national asset. Trust is essential in this process, and while some remain skeptical, many others place their confidence in the system. The outcome and management of recent elections continue to build on that trust.
“Technology is now deeply integrated into our electoral process. Your vote will count. We encourage Nigerians to participate fully in 2027 and demonstrate the continued growth of our democratic process,” he urged.
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