The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has responded to media reports alleging tampering with the accredited figures of voters in the Kogi Governorship Election results on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, stating that these reports are unfounded.
In order to dispel any doubts, INEC emphasizes that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) contains the most accurate and up-to-date Voters’ Accreditation Data. The BVAS is utilized for the authentication and accreditation of registered voters at polling units on election day, automatically preserving the accreditation data of all voters.
The BVAS is designed to primarily operate offline, enabling faster and seamless authentication and accreditation experiences for voters. However, when the BVAS application is active and connected to the internet, it exports the accreditation data to the Accreditation Backend System (ABS).
It is important to note that data exportation does not occur when the BVAS device is inactive or when internet connectivity is poor. Similar to situations where poor network services delay SMS delivery on mobile phones, the same experience applies when multiple BVAS gadgets are used at a polling unit with over 1,250 registered voters.
After the close of the polls, Presiding Officers are responsible for pressing the data exportation button on the BVAS, ensuring that all accreditation data gets transferred to the ABS. This ongoing synchronization process may result in changes to the accreditation figures as new data flows in and updates the existing figures. This is the reason for the caveat provided on the IReV portal regarding the accreditation figures, and it should be noted that accreditation data cannot be changed on the BVAS after the close of the polls.
Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Member of the Information and Voter Education Committee, urges the public to dismiss the misleading reports and misinformation. INEC assures the public that the allegations of tampering with accreditation data are baseless, and the Commission remains committed to upholding the integrity of the electoral process.
With this clarification, INEC aims to provide transparency and address concerns regarding the alleged manipulation of accreditation data on the IReV portal, further assuring the public of the Commission’s dedication to conducting fair and credible elections.
