The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged Nigerians to disregard social media claims alleging that ghost or hired voters participated in the August 15, 2026, Osun State governorship election, insisting that its accreditation system prevented unregistered persons from voting.

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The Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola, made the clarification during an interview on ARISE NEWS on Monday, explaining that voters had to be registered and accredited at their designated polling units before they could cast their ballots. According to him, the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) made it impossible for unregistered or “ghost” voters to participate in the election.

Oketola warned Nigerians against accepting unverified videos and claims circulated online, particularly in an era of artificial intelligence, misinformation and disinformation. “With BVAS in play for any election in Nigeria, there is no room for ghost voters or hired voters,” he said.

Oketola also disclosed that the Osun election recorded a 50.116 per cent voter turnout, which he described as one of the highest recorded in recent off-cycle elections. He said the level of participation demonstrated voters’ willingness to engage in the democratic process despite the tension and fearmongering that characterised the campaign period.

“Despite the fearmongering and the tension-soaked campaign in the run-up to the election, the Osun election has come and gone, and a winner has been declared,” he said, describing the development as evidence of a growing level of maturity in Nigeria’s democracy.