THREE WEEKS TO ELECTIONS INEC , HOLDS STAKEHOLDERS FORUM IN BAUCHI. TO TEST RUN BVAS IN 12 POLLIN UNITS
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From Ardo A Bauchi
Barely three weeks to Presidential and National Assembly Elections, The Indeprndent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Bauchi State has organised a one day stakeholders forum meeting on BVAS in preparation for a smooth election in the coming three weeks.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner, (REC) Alh Mohammed B. Nura said that the aimed was to discuss and brainstorm on BVAS in the conduct of the fast-approaching 2023 general election.
According to him, following the enactment of the new Electoral Act 2022, INEC has strengthened the use of new technologies and online resources to ensure trensparency and acceptability of its process.
He said, “These have tested during off-season Governatorial electiond in Ekiti and Osun states as well as other bye-elections, where the citizens applauded the Commission for ensuring that the votes of the people counted.
Nura explained that the Bio-Model Voter Accreditation System (B-VAS) is one of the new technologies to be deployed for accreditation throught fingerprint or facial recognition.
He stated that after election at polling unit, it will be used to snap the result sheet (EC&A) for upload to the INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV) for the public.
“At the Registration Area /Ward Collation Center, theCollation Officer will compare the data of accredited voters on the B-VAS with the voters cast to ensure that votes are equal or less than the accredited voters, the election becomes invalid.
He disclosed that INEC is making arrengement to conduct Mock Accreditation to test run the BVAS in 12 polling units in six (6) Registration Areas/Wards across the three (3) Senatotial zones located in Bauchi, Darazo, Katagum, Ningi, Toroand Zaki LGAs on 4th febuary 2023.
Nura added, “This exercise will give voters the oppoturnity to confirm their eligibilty to vote during the 2023 general election and all stakeholders are invited to withness the events.
The stakeholders meeting witnessed the presence of security personnel, politicians, local and international NGOs, religious bodies, traditional rulers and NURTW with a theme : “No PVC No Voting”.
