INEC assures deployment of BVAS, prompt distribution of materials in Bayelsa

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has insisted that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would, once again, be deployed for voter accreditation and transmission of results.

This was disclosed, yesterday, by the new Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Effanga, during a press briefing on the commission’s plans for the forthcoming election, held at the Prof. Mahmood Yakubu Media Centre, in Yenagoa.

He said almost all the non-sensitive materials are already in the local councils where the election is going to be conducted, adding that the materials would be moved to their various locations. 

Effanga said: “Nothing has changed in the process of election in Nigeria. We are still going to conduct elections based on provisions of the Constitution, Electoral Act, and INEC guidelines.

“After voting at the polling units, the votes will be counted there; they will be recorded in the physical result sheets, and we will use the BVAS to take a snapshot of the result. They will be taken to the collation centre where the results would be authenticated, while the photograph taken will be uploaded onto the IREV. 

“Then, we will move from the wards collation to the local council collation. From the local council collation, we would come to the state collation, and that will be where the final collation will be done. The result will then be announced, and a winner is declared.

“I assure you, on behalf of my team, we will do our best to conduct a good election taking into cognisance what the Constitution says. What the Electoral Act says and what the guidelines for the election will be. We are getting set for the election and we will do all we can to ensure that this is a success.” 

Effanga added that every vote would count, while they would ensure that every personnel sent to the field is adequately qualified and knowledgeable about the processes of election. He assured that they would not interfere in any way to aid or assist anyone. “Anybody that wants to win the election should be talking to the voters,” he said.