Our reporter| The use of bimodal voter automated system (BVAS) for the 2023 general elections is not negotiable as the device has been deployed to 30 states of the federation, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said on Thursday.
INEC commissioner for voter Education, Festus Okoye, who made the disclosure during a workshop on election reporting organised by the Cable Newspaper Journalism Foundation (CNFJ), said no amount of protest can stop the usage in the 2023 election.
According to Okoye, the use of BVAS is stipulated in the Electoral Act 2022, and will be deployed to all states of the federation before the end of December.
“I have said it and I want to repeat it, even if you protest from now till tomorrow against the BVAS the commission must deploy it,” Okoye said.
“I was in Lagos with the chairman last week and we went to the international wing of the airport, where the Nigerian Airforce were loading the BVAS meant for the states in the federation.
“As of today, we have already delivered to location BVAS for the conduct of elections for 30 states.
“Before the end of December, the BVAS for the conduct of elections for all the states of Nigeria will be where we want them to be.”
BVAS is a device introduced by INEC for the accreditation of voters through biometrics capturing, uploading of polling results, and other functions.
The device has been described by stakeholders as a game-changer in the country’s electoral process but some politicians and political parties have continuously criticised its effectiveness.
Bola Tinubu, the presidential candidate of the ruling All Congress Party (APC) during an appearance at Chatham House, London earlier in the week criticised the move by INEC to use BVAS for the upcoming election.
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