The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has deployed no fewer than 3,508 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for the general election in Kogi State.

Disclosing this, yesterday, on a radio programme, the Head of Department (HoD), Voter Education of INEC in Kogi, Haliru Sule, announced Saturday, February 4, 2023 for the conduct of mock accreditation of voters across the three senatorial districts in the state, using the BVAS.

The commission, Sule stated, has set aside back-up BVAS machines in case of system malfunction during the election.

According to the HoD, mock accreditation will hold in Lokoja, Kabba Bunu, Okene, Ajaokuta, Dekina and Ibaji local councils.

He said: “Every voter has digital identities. The BVAS is meant for the accreditation of voters and testing of their biometrics. We deliberately chose some local councils, especially Ibaji, which we believe has the remotest polling units in Kogi, and the inhabitants are predominantly farmers.

“Most of them engage in hard labour, and we feel that the BVAS should be tested there. If they cannot be authenticated with their fingerprints, they can be authenticated with their facials. We want to ensure that their footprints are authenticated. We want to test the duration of the batteries of the BVAS practically.”

He noted that election is supposed to start by 8.30 a.m. and close by 2.30 p.m.

“But the rule says you must attend to all the people in the queue before 2.30 p.m., even if they are up to 200. You can’t say you won’t attend to them because it is 2.30 p.m. You must attend to those in the queue. It is part of what we want to test between 8.30a.m. and 5.00p.m. or 6.00p.m. and more,” he added.