Nigeria's electoral watchdog pushed back Sunday against accusations from civil society and faith groups that public trust in the ballot box is eroding, insisting a flood of new sign-ups—especially from youth—tells a story of enduring faith in the system amid calls for deeper reforms.

Speaking with Punch Newspaper, Independent National Electoral Commission spokesman Rotimi Oyekanmi called the naysayers' narrative a "myth" bereft of hard proof, spotlighting the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration drive as evidence. 

Launched August 18 with an online portal, the exercise racked up 69,376 pre-registrations in its first seven hours—48.7 percent men, 51.3 percent women—ballooning to 1.38 million by week's end and 5.39 million by September 21, five weeks in.

In-person enrollments kicked off August 25, netting 72,274 completions that first week alone, climbing to 764,695 by mid-September—a pace Oyekanmi hailed as unmatched across Africa.

"All pre-registrants must finalize biometrics in person per the Electoral Act," he reminded, underscoring the blend of digital ease and hands-on verification that's drawn crowds despite economic headwinds.

Oyekanmi leaned on 2023's diverse outcomes as further vindication: eight parties claimed House seats, seven the Senate, nine state assemblies, and four governorships—diversity unseen since 1999's democratic dawn.