CSOs Applause INEC’s Pledge on Use of BVAS Guber/State Assembly Elections

Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Nigeria are urging the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to stick to its recent commitment of using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the upcoming governorship and state assembly elections. INEC has assured Nigerians that it will use the BVAS in the March 11, 2023 polls and has banned negligent staff from the previous election from participating. The CSOs are calling on INEC to keep its promise of using technology in the transmission of election results and not disappoint Nigerians. INEC’s failure to transmit the presidential and National Assembly election results electronically has generated controversy and legal challenges.

To avoid discouraging Nigerians from participating in the upcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections in 28 states this Saturday, INEC has assured that it will use electronic devices for voting and transmitting the election results. However, Civil Society Organisations have expressed their concern and maintained that the law requires INEC to transfer the election results electronically and in real time. The CSOs, which include Transition Monitoring Group (TMG), Transparency International (TI), the Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC), and Yiaga Africa, have urged INEC to keep its promise and not disappoint Nigerians. According to Awwal Musa Rafsanjani, leader of TMG, TI, and CISLAC, INEC has no excuse to fail again in transmitting the election results electronically in the forthcoming gubernatorial and state assembly elections as it is a requirement of the law.

Rafsanjani emphasized that INEC’s commitment to using BVAS next Saturday will boost voter confidence and reduce apathy, which was not the case in the previous election. He highlighted that the law requires INEC to transmit the election results electronically, and failure to do so could damage the trust Nigerians have in the electoral commission. He urged INEC to fulfill its promise and ensure that BVAS is operational during the gubernatorial elections, as Nigerians’ confidence in the system is crucial. Similarly, Samson Itodo, executive director of Yiaga Africa, insisted that INEC has no excuse not to use BVAS for voter accreditation and the transmission of election results in real-time. He reiterated that this is the legal requirement for the electoral process. Speaking with newsmen after a meeting in Abuja, Itodo disclosed that the law requires INEC to transmit the election results electronically in real time, and the commission should follow the law during the gubernatorial elections. Bayonle, a youth leadership advocate, stated that INEC must show commitment to its promise to encourage young Nigerians to vote. Many young Nigerians were discouraged from the electoral process due to INEC’s actions in the last election. Bayonle believes that INEC should ensure proper training for staff and ensure that everything runs smoothly. INEC has also assured Nigerians that BVAS will be used in the upcoming governorship and state legislature elections. Furthermore, the commission has banned all negligent staff, whether regular or ad hoc officials, from participating in the March 11 elections. Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC chairman, made these announcements during a meeting with the resident electoral commissioners (RECs) at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja. Yakubu also stated that certificates of return would be presented to Senators-elect on Tuesday, March 7, 2023, and members of the House of Representatives-elect on Wednesday, March 8, 2023, at the National Collation Centre.