The Independent National Electoral Commission has imported additional Bimodal Voters Accreditation System machines that will be deployed nationwide in all the polling units for the 2023 elections.
The commission, which took delivery of the last batch of the machines at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on Tuesday, said this was in line with its contingency provisions for all critical election materials.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye told The PUNCH on Wednesday that INEC would deploy over 194,464 BVAS machines in 176, 846 polling units across the country.
He explained that 176,846 polling units would receive a BVAS each, adding that each registration area amounting to 8,809, would also get at least two BVAS as backup in case of malfunction, bringing the total to over 194,464 BVAS machines.
Okoye said “We have 176, 846 polling units in Nigeria. All of them will have a BVAS. Some polling units may still have more than 750 registered voters. We shall deploy additional BVAS to such polling units.
“We have 8,809 registration areas in Nigeria. Each one will have at least two BVAS for purposes of quick intervention in cases of sustained malfunction of BVAS in any of the polling units in each electoral ward.’’
Earlier in a statement, Okoye disclosed that the electoral agency received the last batch of the BVAS machines on Tuesday.
He said the commission created four airport hubs in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt to facilitate the smooth delivery of the machines.
The statement read, “In furtherance of the preparations for the 2023 general election, the commission, yesterday, 3rd January 2023, received the last consignment of the bimodal voter accreditation machines with 52 days to the election.
“The commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, national commissioners and senior officials of the commission were at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to receive the BVAS. Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company and airport security officials were at the airport to receive the INEC team.
“To facilitate the smooth delivery of the machines, the commission created four airport hubs in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt. Over the last four months, several flights delivered the BVAS to the designated airports for movement to states of the federation ahead of the elections.
‘’With the arrival of the last flight in Abuja yesterday, the commission has now taken delivery of the required number of the BVAS for all the polling units in the country and extra machines in line with our contingency provisions for all critical election materials.
“The commission appreciates the support of all Nigerians in its determination to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive 2023 general election facilitated by the deployment of technology.”
Public accountability
The Executive Director, Centre for Public Accountability, Olufemi Lawson, praised the commission over the planned deployment of BVAS in each polling unit, noting that there was a need for stakeholders to look into the viability of the backup machine when deployed.
Lawson said, “We must understand that the BVAS is a great improvement in INEC’s effort in giving Nigeria a credible election come 2023. It gives assurance that the commission will give Nigerians a credible election because we are sure that every polling unit is already covered by the numbers of BVAS available and we already have extra units of BVAS available.
“However, we need to look at the viability of the extra BVAS that will be made available and how well it will serve as a support base for the machine when deployed for use.”
The Executive Director, YouthHub Africa, Rotimi Olawale, noted that as long as all polling units receive functioning BVAS, he is confident of a credible election.
“If the BVAS will reach all the polling units across Nigeria, in that case, I have utmost confidence that the BVAS will help to strengthen our electoral process.
“If that is not the case, I think, it will expose INEC to political mischief because why will some polling units receive BVAS and others will not? People will begin to read so many meanings to it. The system should be deployed uniformly across the country,’’ the activist stressed.
Reacting to the INEC’s BVAS deployment plan, the National Chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, Chief Victor Oye, said all Nigerians want is a free, fair and credible election in 2023.
“I wouldn’t know if the number of BVAS machines is adequate. INEC knows better what it needs to conduct free and credible elections,” he noted.
This position was shared by the Social Democratic Party National Chairman, Shehu Gabam, who said “Perhaps, only INEC can defend the number of BVAS machines knowing the consequences of compromised polls.”