New Telegraph

2023: INEC holds mock accreditation Feb 4

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is to hold mock accreditation on February 4, to test the workability of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to be used for the conduct of the election. INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu, at a meeting on Friday with Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) from the 36 states and Abuja, said the commission has taken delivery of BVAS needed for the general elections. “We have also dutifully tested each machine in our offices nationwide to ensure its functionality.The next step is to conduct field tests across the country involving actual voters.

“For this reason, and in readiness for nationwide deployment, the commission is conducting a mock accreditation of voters similar to what was done ahead of the recent Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections.’’ Yakubu, who disclosed that the mock accreditation would take place in 436 polling units nationwide, further stated that 12 polling units have been; “designated in each state of the federation and four in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on the equality of the country’s 109 senatorial districts for the exercise.” He stated that a com- prehensive list of the polling units, including their names and PU code numbers, as well as their distribution by state, senatorial district, local government and registration area (ward) will be uploaded to the commission’s website soon.

He appealed to registered voters in the affected polling units; “to appear on the scheduled date with their PVCs for the mock exercise. “Doing so will help to reassure the public of the robustness of our system and to strengthen our processes ahead of the general election. “Civil society organisations, the media and the general public are welcome to observe the process. At the end of the exercise, the 436 BVAS machines involved will be reconfigured before they are deployed for the general election.” He stated that the commission was encouraged by the determination of registered voters nationwide to collect their PVCs.

According to him, out of 940,200 PVCs delivered to Lagos State, which has the highest number of registered voters in the country, 839,720 PVCs have been collected representing 89.3 per cent of the total figure, as at Thursday this week. He assured that INEC would not “hesitate to consider additional measures to ensure that all citizens have ample opportunity to collect their PVCs ahead of the general election. “We wish to assure Nigerians that the commission will always be responsive to the needs of the electorate.”

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