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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Saturday battled technical glitches during its mock accreditation exercise in Osun State, after the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines failed in some designated polling units.
This revealed major challenges that must be fixed ahead of the 15 August governorship election in the state.
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The exercise, conducted in 12 local government areas across the state’s three senatorial districts, began in the morning with prospective voters presenting their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for accreditation.
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However, PREMIUM TIMES gathered that the exercise was interrupted less than an hour after late commencement when the BVAS devices reportedly stopped recognising voters’ fingerprints, facial features and PVC details, bringing accreditation to a halt at the affected polling units.
The disruption forced INEC’s technical personnel to begin efforts to restore the system while voters waited at the centres.
When contacted by PREMIUM TIMES, the Public Relations Officer of the Osun State INEC office, Dayo Olurode, confirmed the development, stated that the commission’s engineers are working to rectify the devices but did not immediately explain the cause of the malfunction.
According to INEC, the mock accreditation exercise was organised to simulate election-day procedures and evaluate the functionality of the BVAS before the governorship election on 15 August. Unlike the main poll, no voting was scheduled during the exercise.
Civil group questions INEC over glitch
The incident immediately triggered concerns among election observers and civil society organisations, who argued that a failure during a controlled test could undermine public confidence in the electoral process if not promptly addressed.
The Coalition of Concerned Nigerian Citizens (CCNC), in a statement signed by its spokesperson, Raufu Sodiq, said the malfunction raised critical questions about the commission’s preparedness.
“A mock exercise is meant to inspire confidence. It is the dress rehearsal before the main performance. But what we witnessed today is not reassuring. It is alarming,” the group said.
The coalition warned that technical failures on election day could disenfranchise voters and affect confidence in the outcome.
It called on INEC to publicly explain the cause of the malfunction, disclose its contingency plans and replace any faulty devices.
High-stakes election
The glitch comes as INEC intensifies preparations for one of the country’s most closely watched off-cycle governorship elections.
PREMIUM TIMES reported that the commission announced that voter registration in Osun increased from 1.95 (1,954,800) to to 2.3 (2,339,233), reflecting the addition of more than 384,000 new voters.
INEC also disclosed that 322,822 newly registered voters, about 62 per cent had collected their PVCs following the extension of the collection exercise, while previously registered voters had also continued collecting replacement and transferred cards.
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The commission said it had configured all 3,763 BVAS devices required for polling, with 1,328 backup machines reserved for contingencies.
It also announced that sensitive materials had been secured at the Central Bank of Nigeria in Osogbo, while the training of ad hoc staff commenced on 31 July.
However, Saturday’s technical hitch is likely to increase scrutiny of INEC’s preparations as political parties and observers closely monitor the commission’s readiness ahead of the poll.
The August 15 governorship election is expected to be fiercely contested by incumbent Governor Ademola Adeleke of the Accord Party, Bola Oyebamiji of the All Progressives Congress (APC), and candidates of 12 other political parties.
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