A group under the aegis of Yagba Progressive Elite has raised alarm over what it described as a suspicious surge in voter registration figures in some Oke-Oyi communities in Yagba East Local Government Area of Kogi State.
The position was contained in a statement signed by its Spokesperson, Femi Adeleye, which was made available to newsmen.
According to Adeleye, the alleged inflation is contained in a petition filed before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) by the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate for Yagba Federal Constituency, Hon. Seun Ibigbemi.
The group said every resident of Yagba East knows that Isanlu, the headquarters of the LGA, remains the largest community in population, landmass and commerce, and that the 2023 voters register reflected that natural demography, with Isanlu wards having higher numbers than Oke-Oyi wards.
It, however, alleged that the current register has turned the reality upside down.
Citing figures from the petition, Adeleye said Alu/Igbagun/Oranre Ward 4 alone now has 18,439 registered voters, rising from 7,746 in 2023 — an addition of 10,693 voters. He added that Ife-Olukotun Ward II now has 8,560 voters and Ife-Olukotun Ward I has 6,388 voters, bringing the three Oke-Oyi wards to over 33,000 voters.
The group questioned how Oke-Oyi, described as a collection of smaller agrarian villages, could now have more voters than Isanlu, the LGA headquarters.
“What happened, as the petition by Hon. Seun Ibigbemi rightly called it, is massive fictitious inflation and importation of voters from Omuo-Ekiti, Iyamoye and Kano State,” Adeleye alleged.
He further alleged that non-residents were transported from Omuo-Ekiti in Ekiti East LGA of Ekiti State, Iyamoye in Ijumu LGA of Kogi State and Kano State to register during the last Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise.
Adeleye argued that the development, if allowed, would turn genuine voters in Alu, Igbagun and Oranre into minorities in their own ward and drown their votes.
He cited Sections 12(2), 12(3) and 122(1)(a) & (b) of the Electoral Act 2022, which he said criminalize multiple registration and registration outside one’s place of residence, work or origin, with penalties including imprisonment and fines.
The group called on INEC to urgently deploy its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to scan the register, conduct physical residency verification in the affected wards, and ensure that security agencies investigate and prosecute sponsors of the alleged importation.
It also urged the Commission not to use the inflated register for the 2026/2027 elections until it is cleaned.
“Yagba East belongs to the people who live in Yagba East – Isanlu, Ponyan, Alu, Ife-Olukotun, Ijagbe, Makutu, Ejuku, Ilafin. It does not belong to people imported from Omuo-Ekiti, Iyamoye and Kano State,” the statement added.
Adeleye said the petition by Hon. Ibigbemi should be seen as a criminal complaint of electoral fraud backed by figures from the Yagba East CVR as at 2026, and urged INEC to carry out a forensic audit of the register.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC is yet to officially respond to the petition.
