The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Osun State has dismissed claims that it is registering underage voters ahead of the August 8, 2026 governorship election, describing the reports as “false, unfounded and deliberately misleading.”
The clarification was made by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Agboke, following viral social media posts suggesting that secondary school students were mobilised to INEC offices for voter registration.
Speaking on Thursday, the 12th of February, 2026, during an exclusive interview on Eagle 102.5 FM, Ilese Ijebu, monitored by our correspondent in Abeokuta, Agboke emphasized that no underage person was registered in any INEC office across the state. He explained that the issue involved an attempted breach that was immediately resisted by electoral officials.
According to the REC, the controversy arose from an incident at the INEC office in Ede North Local Government Area, where a busload of uniformed secondary school students arrived for registration.
He stated, “Let me say clearly that there is nothing, absolutely nothing like underage registration in Osun State. That report is unfounded, spurious and lacks any iota of truth.”
Agboke detailed that when the students arrived last Friday, the 6th of February, the officer on duty promptly resisted the attempt by those who brought them. “There were heated arguments, but eventually, nobody was allowed to register,” he added.
He revealed that during the confrontation, an onlooker took photographs of the students and circulated them online, sparking public outrage and false claims of underage registration. “Somebody from a close range took pictures and went online to spread the narrative that INEC was registering underage students. That is completely false,” he said.
To investigate the matter, Agboke led a delegation to the secondary school involved and engaged the school authorities. “We deliberately went to the school to find out how those students were mobilised.
READ ALSO: INEC Proposes ₦873.78bn To Conduct 2027 Elections, ₦171bn For 2026
The principal was shocked and apologised profusely.
He said he did not authorise it and had already written complaints to the Ministry of Education and other authorities for investigation,” he disclosed.
The REC added that the school management assured INEC that steps were being taken to identify those responsible for mobilising the students. “I warned him that if such an incident happens again, I will not hesitate to involve law enforcement agencies.
The principal accepted responsibility and assured us that measures are being taken,” he said.
Responding to criticisms that INEC should have arrested the individuals transporting the students, Agboke clarified, “INEC is not a police organisation. Our duty is to prevent illegal registration, and we did exactly that. No underage person entered our register. That is what matters.”