2023 Polls: BVAS Will Be Deactivated When Snatched, Says INEC 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine cannot be manipulated, saying the device will be deactivated whenever snatched.

The INEC deputy director of Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this while speaking on Channels Television’s special election programme, ‘The 2023 Verdict’, on Wednesday, which was monitored by LEADERSHIP in Abuja.

Bayode said a snatched BVAS cannot be used to manipulate the polls.

He stated this amid the backdrop that ballot boxes are usually snatched during elections by hoodlums or gunmen to disrupt the voting process.

According to Bayode, “If a BVAS is snatched, we have a system in place that can deactivate that particular BVAS.

“We deactivate it so that whoever snatches the device will not be able to do anything with the device.

“This is because the device pushes the accreditation data automatically on its own even without the operator pushing a button. This happens when the device is idle, it pushes that accreditation data to the backend.”

Speaking further, he argued that the device was designed to deactivate itself once the presiding officer reports such an incident.

Bayode said if hoodlums take the device to other places where they think they can manipulate the data on the device, the polling unit officer will report the incident and action will be taken immediately.

He said, “If such a thing happens, the PO reports and from the backend, that device is deactivated so that the person who took away that device will not be able to do anything with the device.”

He noted that the fingerprint or facials will be used to accredit voters on election day.

Also speaking, the director, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Victor Aluko, noted that the Commission was still collating uncollected permanent voters cards (PVCs) nationwide.

Aluko said this will help the Commission to ascertain the number of PVCs collected as well as the uncollected PVCs.

He added that there will not be an opportunity for Nigerians to collect their PVCs on election day as it will cause obstruction.

Aluko said those who are unable to collect their PVCs can do so and participate in future elections.

He also urged politicians to refrain from using abusive words during political campaigns.