By Zainab Bakare
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed claims of ghost and hired voters during the August 15 Osun State governorship election, insisting that the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) made such voting impossible.
INEC Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Dayo Oketola, urged Nigerians to disregard unverified reports and videos circulating online after the election. He explained that voters must be duly registered and accredited for a specific polling unit before they can cast their ballots.
Oketola also raised concerns over the growing use of artificial intelligence, warning that AI-generated content could make it increasingly difficult for the public to distinguish between authentic election materials and misleading information.
According to INEC, the election recorded a 50.116 per cent voter turnout, which Oketola described as higher than the figures recorded in several recent off-cycle elections. He attributed the increased participation to improved electoral preparedness and greater voter engagement.
The election was won by Accord Party candidate and incumbent Governor, Ademola Adeleke, who secured 511,067 votes to defeat the All Progressives Congress candidate, Bola Oyebamiji, who polled 444,815 votes.
Oketola described the peaceful conclusion of the election as evidence of growing democratic maturity in Nigeria, while reiterating INEC’s commitment to credible, transparent and technology-driven elections.
