Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner in charge of publicity and voter education said in one of his interviews on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics that ‘politicians cannot by-pass the Bimodal Voter Registration System (BVAS) technology by purchase of Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs).’
The electoral body described the alleged plans by politicians to manipulate the 2023 general elections as efforts in futility. He said, “The BVAS will be used for the accreditation and authentication of voters come 2023, and it will reject biometric data of persons who are not original owners of the traded PVCs.”
However, there are more frauds in other unsuspecting arears often perpetrated in collaboration with some INEC staff. In contrast to the National Commissioner’s statement, available information indicated that the ruling party in Kogi State has concluded arrangement to pre-load the dreaded BVAS with already accredited voters with result programmed to advantage.
Constant issues being raised and allegations of attempts to manipulate the two basic tools in the coming general elections: the BVAS and the PVCs suffice. The major target in their arrangement is the polling unit where the BVAS are more than one.
Another hidden plan by these group of election riggers is to allow multiples voting in an area where the voting point are more than one. That is, a voter who casted his/her vote in a voting point will have option of voting in another point because, all the voting points within the same polling unit are configured and uploaded with the total registered voters of the polling unit. The major target LGAs for this arrangement are: Olamaboro, Ankpa Dekina, Ofu and Ibaji LGAs.
The urgent need to speak out by INEC is required to allay the fears of the people and ensure a psychologically stable electoral ground for smooth and trouble-free polls.
The electoral commission must therefore move to protect its beautiful innovations and ensure that there is strict adherence to regulations and provisions of the new electoral act. Security agents need to rise up and forestall this evil arrangement.
