By Chris Udochukwu
Abuja (Precise Post) – The Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that it plans to procure no fewer than 200,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which would more or less replace the card readers in future elections.
The commission had said the BVAS, first deployed during the November 6, 2021 Anambra State governorship election, would be used for voter registration, accreditation and uploading polling unit results to the result-viewing portal.
Okoye had said, “BVAS allows us to use one machine for the purposes of voter registration, accreditation – fingerprint and facial authentication – and uploading of polling unit results to our result-viewing portal.
So, it’s a three-in-one solution. We are confident that the BVAS will perform well and it will be the dominant means of accreditation going forward.”
But in the recent interview, Okoye said, “The BVAS is part of our docket for the 2023 general elections. The commission will procure at least 200,000 BVAS to serve the 176, 846 Polling units in Nigeria plus redundancies.
“The commission will continue to upload polling unit results to its result viewing portal.
However, the new bill removed impediments and obstacles to the electronic collation of results and the commission will continue to urge all the parties concerned to put the national interest first in their approach to the resolution of the current impasse relating to the amendment to the electoral legal framework.”
Part of the activities Yakubu said would be sorted before the 2023 elections include the replacement of ballot boxes, voting cubicles, printing of permanent voter cards and procurement of critical election technology needed for the elections.
Speaking on the much awaited 2023 election timetable that INEC promised to release after the Anambra governorship election, Okoye said the commission was working on the timetable and schedule of activities for the general election.
He said the commission was preparing for the February 12 Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, eight pending federal and state constituency bye-elections and the governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun states.
He, however, promised that the chairman of the commission would address the nation as soon as the commission concludes work on the timetable and schedule of activities.
