From Judex Okoro, Calabar
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Cross River State, Dr. Johnson Sinikiem Alalibo, has disclosed chat the State like other States nationwide has received Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for use in 2023 general elections.
Speaking with journalists at Calabar Municipality Area office shortly after four-day familiarisation tour of the 18 INEC local government area offices in the state, Alalibo said that other non-sensitive materials including the voting cubicles are being expected to be delivered to the Commission.
The REC said BVAS will be deployed for accreditation on
election day in the 3281 polling units in the state to eradicate rigging, and other electoral malfeasance and violence.
He explained that once authentication of facials and fingerprints fail, the voter will not be allowed to vote.
According to him, “this means that security of votes are assured with the double capturing of facials and fingerprints and added that he was confident that this modern technology (BVAS) recently introduced by the commission will ensure that votes will count.”
Explaining other advantages of BVAS, the REC said: “The polling units results will be snapped using BVAS at the end of the process and uploaded to INEC Résult Viewing portal (IReV) by the presiding officers before proceeding to the Collation centres.
“We assure that the uploaded results can be viewed by all globally so far as you create an account on IReV portal to view the resultsa.
” The testimonies of the success of the technology was visible in all the off cycle elections conducted by the Commission during the last governorship elections in Edo, Ondo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun as well as other bye- elections held in the recent past across the Country.”
Responding on the ongoing renovations of destroyed INEC facilities in the state during the #EndSARS protests, Alalibo said that the commission has started renovations across the state and has no doubt that all the ongoing renovations of INEC offices destroyed and dilapidated structures will be completed before the 2023 general elections.
He advised staff to reciprocate and complement the gestures of the commission by remaining loyal and distance themselves from partisan politics.
The REC was accompanied on the tour by the Administrative Secretary, Mr. Davis Eldred, Anthonia Nwobi, head of department, voter education and publicity, and other top management staff.