The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State has refuted claims disseminated on social media regarding the registration of underage individuals as voters in Ede North Local Government Area.
The accusation, disseminated on Facebook, asserted that students in uniforms were registered at the INEC Local Government Office in Ede North on Friday, February 6, 2026.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mutiu Agboke, in a statement disseminated by Public Affairs Officer Musa Olurode on Monday in Osogbo, characterised the assertion as untrue and misleading.
It also emphasised that no minors were registered at the office on the specified date.
INEC verified that several students from YTD Grammar School, Ojoro, Ede, arrived at the Ede North office in their school uniforms to register.
The Commission stated that on-duty authorities refused the students entry to the premises in accordance with prevailing laws and regulations pertaining to voter registration.
The Electoral Officer and other authorities, adhering strictly to the law, denied them access to the office premises. As a result, no minor was registered,” the statement indicated.
INEC emphasised that “only Nigerian citizens who have reached the age of 18 are qualified for voter registration, in accordance with the amended 1999 Constitution and the Electoral Act of 2022.”
The Commission stated that its officers were explicitly directed to implement the age restriction uniformly throughout the state.
INEC added reminded citizens that the Osun State office, led by the Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr. Mutiu Agboke, would neither engage in nor condone any actions that could compromise the legitimacy and integrity of the voter registration process.
The Commission advised the public to ignore the social media post and to depend on information from official INEC communication channels.
The electoral authority urged parents, educational institutions, and community leaders to educate young individuals on the legal prerequisites for voter registration.