Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has called for an urgent probe into what he described as “contrived” voter registration figures recently recorded in Osun State.
He warned that the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process could be at risk if the matter is left unattended.
Atiku’s Media Adviser, Mazi Paul Ibe, disclosed this in Abuja yesterday, stressing that the sharp disparity between Osun’s voter registration numbers and those of other states raises serious concerns.
“Yes, His Excellency is, of course, concerned about it,” Ibe told Vanguard.
Sharp Contrast in INEC Figures
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) recently announced that Osun State registered about 393,000 new voters within just over a week of the continuous voter registration exercise. In comparison, at least five other states combined recorded fewer than 5,000 new registrations in the same period.
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Atiku, according to Ibe, believes such a huge imbalance calls for immediate scrutiny.
“Any attempt, any plan, or any agenda to inflate figures in particular states, or across the country, should be investigated. There should be an investigation so that no one is left in doubt, and so that the figures published by INEC are seen as genuine, not contrived,” he warned.
Safeguarding 2027 Elections
The former Vice President, who is a leading figure in the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), insisted that urgent action was necessary to safeguard the integrity of the 2027 general elections.
“That is important. It needs to be investigated without delay. There is an urgency to this because what we are trying to do is to remove every obstacle that could undermine the integrity of the democratic process ahead of the 2027 elections,” Ibe added.
Growing Concerns
Atiku’s concerns aligns with those raised earlier by the African Democratic Congress (ADC), which described the figures as “statistically implausible” and cast doubt on their credibility.
ADC had insisted that the number of online pre-registrations from Osun “defies historical patterns and demographic realities.”
Meanwhile, INEC has dismissed claims of irregularities in the Osun registration process, maintaining that its figures remain authentic.
In a statement issued on August 28, 2025, the Commission said that the figures are neither unusual nor implausible and are consistent with similar trends observed during the 2021 CVR exercise.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.
