By: Dr. Osahon Aikoriogie Edoimioya.
The integrity of our electoral process must never be compromised, and democracy must not be reduced to a game of manufactured numbers, questionable statistics and political manipulation.
Recent reports concerning the voter register at the polling unit reportedly associated with Governor Monday Okpebholo have raised serious questions that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must urgently address.
According to the figures being circulated, the polling unit, Udomi Primary School, Udomi-I, Uwessan I Ward, Esan Central Local Government Area, reportedly had 397 registered voters during the September 2024 governorship election. However, the figure in the preliminary 2026 voter register is reportedly 4,783.
This represents an increase of 4,386 voters, approximately 1,105 per cent within two years.
This is not an ordinary statistical discrepancy that should be ignored. It demands transparency, accountability and a credible explanation from INEC. While an increase in voter registration is not, by itself, proof of electoral fraud, such an extraordinary change at a single polling unit deserves independent scrutiny and public clarification.
INEC MUST ACT NOW, NOT AFTER THE DAMAGE HAS BEEN DONE.
The electoral umpire must urgently investigate the circumstances surrounding this reported increase, verify the authenticity of the entries, establish whether transfers or other legitimate registration processes account for the difference, and make its findings public.
Opposition political parties, civil society organisations, election observers and concerned stakeholders in Edo State must remain vigilant. They must obtain copies of the preliminary register, scrutinise polling-unit figures, identify irregularities and utilise the statutory objection and correction procedures provided by electoral law.
We cannot afford to wait until election day before raising questions about the credibility of the electoral process. Electoral integrity begins with a clean and credible voters’ register, not merely the conduct of voting and the announcement of results.
Furthermore, Governor Okpebholo’s reported ambition to deliver 2.5 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election raises additional questions about the relationship between political promises, the actual number of registered voters and historical voter turnout in Edo State.
For perspective, INEC reported 2,760,190 registered voters in Edo State following the 2025–2026 Continuous Voter Registration exercise. How does anyone intend to deliver 2.5 million votes from a total registered electorate of that size, particularly when historical voter participation has been considerably lower?
Is this a genuine mobilisation target, or should Edo people be asking harder questions about the credibility of the electoral preparations?
ELECTION HAS NOT STARTED, BUT THE QUESTIONS ABOUT ELECTORAL INTEGRITY ARE ALREADY MULTIPLYING.
Democracy must be protected before, during and after elections. No political party, incumbent administration or political officeholder should be allowed to enjoy an unfair advantage through questionable voter registration figures.
INEC owes the people of Edo State an explanation. The opposition must not sleep on its constitutional responsibilities, and the electorate must not surrender its democratic rights through silence or indifference.
Our democracy deserves credible numbers, transparent processes and elections in which every legitimate vote counts.
The time to scrutinise the register is now. The time to defend the ballot is now. Let nobody wait until the horse has bolted before attempting to lock the stable.
Edo State belongs to all of us, and its electoral integrity must be protected by all of us.
Edo State must be great again under our eagle eye and vigilance.
About The Author
