INEC denies claims officials reconfiguring BVAS in Kogi gov’t house

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Saturday, dismissed allegations that some of its officials were reconfiguring Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, machines in Kogi State Government House, Lokoja ahead of the November 11 governorship election in the state.

While describing the allegation as baseless, the commission urged Nigerians to disregard the claim as the individuals mentioned in the report are currently not in any way close to Lokoja.

INEC was reacting to the claim made by the Director of New Media of the Social Democratic Party (SDP) Governorship campaign team in Kogi State, ID Ijele where he alleged that three staff of INEC are maliciously reconfiguring the BVAS machines in the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the forthcoming governorship election in a part of the State in favour of a candidate.

Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Commission, Rotimi Oyekanmi, in a statement, clarified that configuration of BVAS is done simultaneously and exclusively in the commission’s offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States professionally and strictly handled by teams deployed from the national HQ, Abuja.

The statement read: “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a statement signed by ID Ijele, Director of New Media of the SDP Governorship campaign team in Kogi State.

“The statement alleged that three staff of INEC are right now maliciously reconfiguring the BVAS machines in the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the forthcoming Governorship election in a part of the State in favour of a candidate.

“The story is untrue. The three persons mentioned are not associated with the configuration of the BVAS machines and not even in Kogi State at the moment. Mr. Nicholas Ocholi is on his duty post in our Ondo State office in Akure. Ibrahim Egbunu is attending to a very close family member hospitalised in Abuja. Mohammed Adara retired last year and is no longer a staff of the Commission.

“The configuration of BVAS is done simultaneously and exclusively in our offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States professionally and strictly handled by teams deployed from the national HQ, Abuja.

“The public is advised to disregard the story as fake news. At the same time, the Commission appeals to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature.”