The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed suggestions that Nigerians have lost confidence in the country’s electoral system, describing such claims as baseless and unsupported by evidence.

In recent weeks, civil society and religious groups have voiced concerns over what they perceive as growing voter apathy. However, INEC, in a statement issued on Sunday by Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, insisted that available data points to sustained public trust.

“The notion that Nigerians have lost confidence in the electoral process is more of a myth than a reality, as those who proclaim it lack convincing evidence to support it,” Oyekanmi said. He cited the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) as an example, noting high levels of participation, particularly among young people.

Figures from the commission showed that within seven hours of the CVR portal opening on August 18, 69,376 Nigerians had pre-registered online. By September 21, five weeks later, more than 5.3 million had uploaded their details. In-person registration, which began on August 25, pushed total completed registrations to 764,695 in the first month. “There is no African country with these types of voter registration figures within one month,” Oyekanmi added.

On the 2023 general elections, he said the outcome reflected a milestone in Nigeria’s democratic development, with multiple political parties winning seats at both state and national levels. He also criticised what he described as inconsistency among INEC’s detractors, observing that some of the commission’s fiercest critics are the same voices calling for it to take over the conduct of local government elections.

“They cannot continue to walk on both sides of the road,” Oyekanmi remarked.