INEC Chairman meets with RECs, promises BVAS will be fully functional in Governorship Elections

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, recently held a meeting with all Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) at the INEC headquarters in Abuja.

During the meeting, he reassured Nigerians that the upcoming governorship and state legislature elections will utilize the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

BVAS is a voting system that uses electronic devices to scan voter cards and authenticate them through biometric identification. Yakubu emphasized that the BVAS machines will be utilized for the upcoming elections, and that efforts are underway to address the issues that led to glitches during last Saturday’s elections.

The agenda of the meeting was not disclosed to the media, although journalists were invited to cover the opening. The meeting, which is being held exactly one week after the presidential and National Assembly elections, and one week prior to the governorship and state assembly elections, is expected to focus on lessons learned from the previous week’s elections, with particular emphasis on logistics management.

In his opening remarks, the INEC Chairman noted that there are lessons to be learned from last week’s elections, especially with regard to logistics management. He urged the RECs to work harder to ensure that the governorship elections do not experience the same issues that arose during the previous week’s elections, while also calling for the disciplining of staff who make mistakes.

The BVAS machines were introduced by INEC in 2011 and were first used in the 2015 general elections. Since then, they have been utilized in subsequent elections, including the 2019 general elections. The machines are designed to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the electoral process, and to reduce the incidence of fraud and voter impersonation.

Yakubu’s reassurance that the BVAS machines will be utilized in the upcoming elections is likely to ease concerns among Nigerians about the integrity of the electoral process. The glitches experienced during the previous week’s elections raised concerns about the effectiveness of the electoral commission, and many Nigerians have called for more transparency and accountability in the electoral process.

Overall, the meeting between Yakubu and the RECs is an important step towards ensuring a smooth and transparent electoral process in Nigeria.

By addressing the issues that arose during the previous week’s elections and emphasizing the importance of logistics management, the INEC Chairman is demonstrating a commitment to improving the integrity of the electoral process and ensuring that the will of the people is reflected in the final results.