INEC rejects claims of lost public trust, citing record voter registration figures as proof of Nigerians’ confidence in the electoral system
INEC defends Nigerians’ confidence in electoral system amid recent claims of growing public disillusionment, describing such assertions as baseless and unsupported by facts.
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come out strongly to reject allegations that Nigerians have lost faith in the country’s electoral process.
This follows criticism from some Civil Society Organisations and religious groups suggesting waning trust in elections.
Responding on Sunday, Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, told The PUNCH that evidence actually points to the opposite—highlighting robust public engagement in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
“The notion that Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral process is more of a myth than a reality, as those who proclaim it lack convincing evidence to support it,” Oyekanmi stated.
He cited the particularly high participation of young Nigerians in the CVR, which began on August 18, 2025, with online pre-registration.
Within just seven hours of the portal’s launch, 69,376 Nigerians pre-registered online, with an almost equal gender split.
By September 21, over 5.3 million Nigerians had uploaded their details to the CVR portal.
In-person registration, which started on August 25, also saw strong turnout, with 764,695 completed registrations recorded within one month.
“There is no African country with these types of voter registration figures within one month,” Oyekanmi added.
He emphasised that all pre-registered voters must complete their registration in person as required by the Electoral Act 2022, explaining the legal necessity for biometric capture at designated centres.
Reflecting on the 2023 general elections, Oyekanmi said they marked a milestone in Nigeria’s democratic evolution, particularly highlighting the increased diversity in the National Assembly, with seven political parties winning Senate seats and eight parties represented in the House of Representatives.
“The 2023 general election, more than any other election, demonstrates this fact,” he remarked.
Oyekanmi further defended the electoral system by pointing to successful recent bye-elections, saying Nigerians have “kept faith with the electoral process.”
He also criticised some INEC critics for their contradictory stance, noting that some who complain about INEC are also calling for electoral reforms that would expand INEC’s mandate to include Local Government elections.
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“Ironically, some of the most ardent critics of INEC are also in the forefront of calling for electoral reform to transfer Local Government elections to the same commission. Surely, they cannot continue to walk on both sides of the road,” he said.
