The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct mock accreditation for the off-cycle gubernatorial elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi states using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
The results of the accreditation exercise will be uploaded to the INEC Results Viewing Portal (IReV). The mock accreditation will be held on October 14 in all three states, as per a statement by Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Electoral Information and Education Committee.
Olumekun said the accreditation drill will be held in 27 electoral units, three in each senatorial district of the states.
“As was the case in the recent off-cycle gubernatorial election, the commission will conduct an accreditation drill using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and upload the results of the voting units to the Voter Display Portal. INEC (IReV) results. The test will be held simultaneously in all three states on Saturday, October 14, 2023 from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.,” he said.
“Lessons learned from the exercise will be taken into account to ensure a smooth process on election day.”
The commission had scheduled the off-cycle elections for Saturday, November 11.
INEC said it has uploaded the list of electoral units participating in the mock accreditation on its website and social media platforms.
The commission, therefore, appealed to voters in the selected polling units to come forward with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVC) for the exercise.
“The public is advised that this is strictly a trial accreditation exercise and not an actual election,” he concluded.
The three states are among eight states where off-cycle gubernatorial elections are held at different times due to prior litigation. The other states are Anambra, Osun, Ekiti, Edo and Ondo states.
IRev malfunction
Although the BVAS and IReV performed satisfactorily during the mock accreditation exercise held before the February 25 general elections, the latter did not function properly during the actual elections, making it an appeal case for the losing candidates. In the elections.
Candidates of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Atiku Abubakar, and Peter Obi of the Labor Party, who came second and third respectively in the elections, have appealed the result to the Presidential Election Petitions Tribunal (PEPC).
The PEPC had confirmed the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Bola Tinubu, whom INEC declared the winner of the March 1 presidential election.