The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims suggesting that Nigerians are losing confidence in the country’s electoral system, describing such assertions as baseless and lacking factual support.
Strong Public Participation in Voter Registration
The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi, told The PUNCH on Sunday that criticisms from civil society groups and religious organisations do not reflect reality.
According to him, the evidence points to 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,” Oyekanmi said.
He added that the high level of participation, especially among young Nigerians, indicates sustained trust in the system.
“On the contrary, the high level of participation by Nigerians, especially the youths, in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration, which began on August 18 this year with online pre-registration, shows that citizens still have confidence in the process,” he explained.
The CVR, which began online on August 18, 2025, saw 69,376 Nigerians pre-register within the first seven hours.
By August 24, over 1.3 million had completed online pre-registration, and by September 21, the total had surged to more than 5.3 million.
In-person registration, which began on August 25, also recorded significant participation, with 764,695 individuals completing registration within the first month.
Oyekanmi emphasized that while online pre-registration is convenient, completion of registration must be done in person at designated centres to comply with the Electoral Act 2022.
Electoral System Shows Progress and Diversity
Reflecting on the 2023 general election, Oyekanmi highlighted that it marked a significant improvement in Nigeria’s electoral system, particularly in terms of diversity.
He noted that seven political parties won Senate seats and eight parties secured seats in the House of Representatives, marking the most diverse National Assembly since the restoration of democracy in 1999.
“The 2023 general election, more than any other election, demonstrates this fact. The election produced the most diverse National Assembly since 1999,” he said.
According to Oyekanmi, even the recent bye-elections were proof that “Nigerians have kept faith with the electoral process.” At the state level, nine parties secured State Assembly seats, while APC won 16 governorships, PDP 10, LP one, and NNPP one.
He also criticized critics of INEC for being inconsistent.
“Ironically, some of the most ardent critics of INEC are also calling for electoral reforms to transfer Local Government elections to the same commission. Surely, they cannot continue to walk on both sides of the road,” he stated.