The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has refuted claims suggesting that Nigerians have lost trust in the electoral system, labeling such assertions as largely unfounded.
According to INEC, those propagating this belief have yet to present substantial proof to validate their stance.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, conveyed this position in a statement released to LEADERSHIP on Monday.
Contrary to the skepticism, Oyekanmi highlighted the robust engagement of Nigerians-particularly young voters-in the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which commenced on August 18 with an online pre-registration phase, as evidence of sustained public confidence.
He detailed that the CVR portal was activated at 8:30 am on August 18, and within just seven hours, by 3:30 pm the same day, 69,376 Nigerians had completed their pre-registration. This group consisted of 33,803 males (48.7%) and 35,573 females (51.3%).
By August 24, only a week into the process, the number of online pre-registrants had surged to 1,379,342. Oyekanmi noted that if the registration had been allowed to remain exclusively online, this figure would have represented the total registrants.
However, he emphasized that all individuals who pre-registered online are required to finalize their registration by visiting designated centers in person to have their biometric data and other information captured, in accordance with Sections 9(7) and 10(2) of the Electoral Act 2022.
By September 1, two weeks after the online pre-registration began, the total number of Nigerians who had registered online reached 2,532,062. Within the first week of the in-person registration phase, which started on August 25, 72,274 citizens either completed their online pre-registration or registered directly at the centers.
By the fifth week, on September 21, 2025, an impressive 5,385,060 Nigerians had submitted their details through the CVR portal.
Similarly, by the fourth week of in-person registration on September 19, 399,162 pre-registrants had completed the process, while 365,533 individuals registered physically, bringing the total number of fully registered voters to 764,695 within just one month.
Oyekanmi asserted that no other African nation has recorded such high voter registration numbers within a comparable timeframe.
He further praised the leadership of Professor Mahmood Yakubu at INEC for the substantial reforms introduced to the electoral framework, pointing out that the 2023 general elections were a testament to these advancements.
Oyekanmi noted that the 2023 elections resulted in the most politically diverse National Assembly since Nigeria’s return to democracy in 1999.
In the Senate, seven political parties secured seats: APC with 59, PDP 36, Labour Party (LP) 8, New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP) 2, Social Democratic Party (SDP) 2, All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) 1, and Young Progressives Party (YPP) 1.
Similarly, eight parties won representation in the House of Representatives: APC 177, PDP 117, LP 35, NNPP 19, APGA 5, African Democratic Congress (ADC) 2, SDP 2, and YPP 2.
Regarding governorship elections, APC claimed victory in 16 states, PDP in 10, LP in 1, and NNPP in 1. Additionally, nine political parties gained seats in State Assemblies, including APC with 533, PDP 355, LP 38, NNPP 29, APGA 20, YPP 8, SDP 7, Action Alliance (A) 1, and ADC 1.
Oyekanmi also pointed out that recent by-elections have reaffirmed Nigerians’ continued trust in the electoral process.
He remarked on the irony that some of INEC’s most vocal critics are simultaneously advocating for the transfer of Local Government elections to the Commission, cautioning that such contradictory positions are untenable.
