October 22, 2022
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Cross River, Dr. Johnson Alalibo, has confirmed the receipt of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS) for the 2023 general elections in the state.
The REC disclosed this in Calabar at the end of his visit to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) offices across the state.
Alalibo also said that voting cubicles and other non-sensitive materials were expected to be delivered in the state in the next few days.
The REC, who warned politicians that days of rigging and ballot box snatching were over, assured that the BVAS would be deployed across the 3281 polling units in the state.
He urged the staff of the commission to be at their best before and during the poll, adding that INEC would conduct the most credible, fair and inclusive elections in the history of Nigeria.
“The BVAS will be deployed for accreditation on election day in the 3281 polling units in the state, to eradicate rigging, and other electoral malfeasance and violence.
“Once authentication of facials and fingerprints fails, voter will not be allowed to vote. This means that security of votes are assured with the double capturing of facials and fingerprints.
“Introduction of BVAS by the commission will ensure that votes will count,” he said.
He said that with the BVAS, the polling units result could be snapped at the end of the process and uploaded to INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV).
Alalibo said that such process could be done by the Presiding Officers before proceeding to the Collation centres.
He also stated that the commission had started the renovation of the INEC facilities destroyed in Cross River during the EndSars protest .
“These facilities will be completed and put to use before the 2023 general elections,” he said.
He advised INEC staff to reciprocate and complement the gestures of the commission, which included staff capacity building, by remaining loyal and avoiding involvement in partisan politics.
The staff promised to adopt the new concept of the commission, “United INEC”, by working as a team to achieve credible and transparent elections in the state. (NAN)
