Yoruba, Northern Groups Fault ADC, PDP Allegations Against INEC

The Northern Awareness Network (NAN) and the Yoruba Youth Council (YYC) have condemned the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) claims on the credibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC’s) latest voter registration figures in Osun State and the South West region.

In separate statements released over the weekend, both groups described the claims by ADC and PDP as unfounded, misleading and detrimental to Nigeria’s democratic process.

NAN’s chairman, Salihu Sulaiman, criticised the opposition parties for what he called an attempt to discredit INEC’s electoral integrity and foment political unrest ahead of the forthcoming Osun governorship election.

The controversy centers on INEC’s announcement that Osun State recorded 393,269 pre-registrations during its recent nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the highest figure among all states. While PDP and ADC questioned the authenticity of these figures, labelling them as inflated and unrealistic, INEC promptly dismissed the allegations.

The YYC spokesperson Saheed Adeola, described the alarm raised by the opposition parties as unnecessary and disruptive. They noted that PDP’s questioning of the numbers was particularly surprising given the party’s victory over the All Progressives Congress (APC) in the 2022 Osun governorship election.

“The figures for Osun State are not unusual,” YYC said. “The data aligns closely with the 232,880 registrants recorded in the 2021 exercise. There is no significant discrepancy to warrant the current political theatrics.”

The council also highlighted the silence of PDP and ADC on voter figures from other regions, such as the Federal Capital Territory, suggesting selective outrage.

NAN echoed similar sentiments, accusing ADC of engaging in political grandstanding to mask its dwindling influence and prepare the ground for contesting future election outcomes. “Baseless allegations against INEC are often tactics employed by parties anticipating defeat,” Sulaiman stated, urging Nigerians to remain vigilant against attempts to politicise electoral data.