INEC Allays Fears Over Gov’ship Polls, Gets 10 New RECs

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured of improved performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in voter accreditation and result upload in the forthcoming governorship elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa states and beyond.

INEC declared that the Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi governorship elections are critical to the Commission.

LEADERSHIP reports that INEC’s consideration of the off-cycle governorship in the three states as critical may not be unconnected to the calls on the election management body to redeem itself and restore the confidence of the Nigerian voters in the electoral process following INEC’s failures in the last general election.

Overall, the Commission said it had accredited 145 organisations deploying 7,896 observers.

INEC chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this yesterday during a quarterly consultative meeting with civil society organisations on Wednesday in Abuja.

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Yakubu said it had received no adverse report so far while testing the efficacy of the BVAS for both biometric authentication of voters and the upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during its mock accreditation exercise recently.

Stating that election is a multi-stakeholder activity, the INEC chairman said in discharging its responsibilities, it will continue to engage with all stakeholders, especially security agencies.

The INEC helmsman said, “As you are aware, the Commission conducted a mock accreditation involving actual voters in designated polling units in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi states two weeks ago. By doing so, we tested the efficacy of the BVAS for both biometric authentication of voters and the upload of results to the IReV. Some of you observed the mock accreditation exercise and viewed the results on the IReV portal.

“We have received no adverse report so far. By this, we are encouraged that the test was successful, and we look forward to improved performance of the BVAS in voter accreditation and result upload in the forthcoming Governorship elections and beyond.”

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu has approved the appointment of nine new Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for INEC for a term of five years each, subject to the confirmation of the Senate:

A statement by presidential spokesman, Ajuri Ngelale, said this was in accordance with powers vested in the president by Section 154 (1) of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria (1999, Amended) and Section 6 of the Electoral Act (2022),.

The commissioners are Isah Shaka Ehimeakne, Edo State REC; Bamidele Agbede,  Ekiti; Jani Adamu Bello,  Gombe; Taiye Ilayasu, Kwara; Bunmi Omoseyindemi, Lagos; Yahaya Bello, Nasarawa; Mohammed Yalwa, Niger; Etekamba Umoren, Akwa Ibom and Isma’ila Kaura Moyi, Zamfara.

Ngelale said President Tinubu expects the new appointees to abide by the highest standards of professional and ethical conduct in the discharge of their duties for transparent, fair, and conflict-free electoral conduct in Nigeria.