- Lawyers claim registered voters rose 70 per cent in one cycle, citing “importation” of registrants from Ekitii and Kano States
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representatives candidate for the Yagba Federal Constituency, Hon. Seun Ibigbemi, has petitioned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), alleging a “massive and fictitious” inflation of the voters register in Yagba East Local Government Area.
The petition, dated October 27, 2026, was signed by Dr. Adekunle Oladapo Otitoju, Principal Partner at Adekunle Oladapo Otitoju Ph.D & Co. It was stamped received by the office of the INEC Chairman in Abuja on October 28.
The petitioner said registered voters in Yagba East rose from 53,436 in 2023 to 90,841 in INEC’s current records. That is an increase of about 37,400 voters, or 70 per cent, in a single electoral cycle.
The lawyers described this as “statistically impossible without manipulation.”
They said the growth is concentrated in a few agrarian wards: Alu/Igbagun/Oranre Ward 4 rose from 7,746 to 18,439, an addition of 10,693. The petition argued that this exceeds the entire 2023 voting population of eight wards in the LGA.
Ife Olukotun Ward II rose from 3,891 to 8,560. Ife Olukotun Ward I rose from 3,431 to 6,388. The petition also named Jege/Oke/Agi Ogbom/Isao (Ward 6), Makutu II (Ward 8) and Ilafin/Idofin/Odo-Ogba (Ward 10) as affected.
According to the petition, the lawyers’ investigation found that non-residents were transported to register during the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise. It says they were brought from Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East LGA of Ekiti State, from Iyamoye in Ijumu LGA of Kogi State, and from Kano State.
It added that many of them already hold valid registrations in their home states, which would amount to multiple registration.
The petitioner argued this is a criminal offence. It cites Section 12(2) of the Electoral Act, 2026, which bars registration at more than one centre or more than once at the same centre. It also cites Section 12(3), which prescribes a fine of at least ₦100,000, imprisonment of at least one year, or both.
The petitioner asks INEC to conduct an urgent forensic audit of the Yagba East register, focusing on the wards named above, and use the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to identify and remove multiple registrants, particularly those linked to Omuo-Ekiti, Iyamoye and Kano.
He also urged INEC to restore the register to reflect only genuine residents of Yagba East as well as investigate and prosecute anyone found to have facilitated the alleged irregularities.
The lawyers said they trust the commission to maintain “a credible voters register” ahead of the 2027 general elections.
