INEC promises to address challenges of its new technology before Anambra poll

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Fee (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, says the Commission will deal with the problems seasoned with its new engineering in the course of past Saturday’s by-election in Delta Condition prior to the Anambra governorship election.

Mr Yakubu disclosed this at the commission’s meeting to welcome its a few new nationwide commissioners and to swear-in a Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) at its headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday.

INEC deployed the new technological know-how, Bimodal Voter Accreditation Method (BVAS), at the Isoko South 1 Condition Constituency bye-election in Delta Condition held on Saturday.

Mr Yakubu claimed that while the result of the new engineering piloted in the 84 polling units was very encouraging, there ended up number of difficulties that would be resolved just before the 6 November Anambra governorship election.

He recalled that the fee produced heritage on August 8, by properly conducting the to start with election in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic in the Nasarawa Central State Constituency by-election.

He mentioned that in that election, INEC also piloted the initially true-time uploading of polling device effects to the INEC End result Viewing Portal (IReV).

He included that due to the fact then, effects of 26 extra elections had been uploaded to the portal.

“Only last weekend, we piloted nevertheless a different innovation in the Isoko South 1 point out constituency bye-election in Delta.

“We launched the BVAS for effective human recognition as a result of a biometric verification system, utilizing both equally fingerprint and facial recognition of voters.

“The consequence of the pilot in the 84 polling units was quite encouraging without a doubt. It took an regular of just a person minute for the unit to appropriately track down the voter in the process and a further two minutes to authenticate a voter.

“In conditions of the ruggedness of the system and its battery existence, no one BVAS was changed owing to discharge of battery all through the voting interval.

“Most importantly, the unit was capable to guarantee the credibility of voter accreditation by protecting against the incidents of many voting or the use of stolen PVCs to vote.

“All voters have been accredited electronically using the BVAS. The use of the incident type was removed. The Isoko South 1 condition constituency bye-election was historic in this regard,” Mr Yakubu stated.

The INEC chairman, having said that, said there were a handful of worries seasoned with the technologies in the election.

All those troubles, in accordance to him, incorporate the problems of the BVAS matching the voter’s are living image in opposition to the graphic on the register in a few circumstances, owing to the excellent of photographs of some voters arising from earlier voter registration.

“Secondly, some polling units were being not shiny enough when having the image for the facial authentication.

“Thirdly, there was the age-outdated dilemma of thuggery throughout elections. Our officers were attacked and five BVAS equipment snatched by hoodlums.

“Although this did not impact the elections due to the fact we deployed added devices as section of our contingency measures, the incident is becoming investigated by the Police.

“Nevertheless, we would like to assure Nigerians that the fee will handle these challenges, together with the set up of a system to disable and track the gadget in the celebration of theft.

“This mechanism will be activated ahead of the forthcoming Anambra governorship election.”

Mr Yakubu, while talking on Anambra governorship election scheduled for 6 November, claimed the preparations for the election were being at an state-of-the-art phase with a lot of of the activities outlined in the timetable and timetable of pursuits for the election, presently carried out.

He explained that INEC’s intention was to hold deepening the trustworthiness of the electoral procedure by enhancing on all setting up, management, implementation and help procedures by way of the deployment of proper technological innovation.

The 3 new national commissioners welcomed by INEC had been Abdullahi Zuru, a Chemist and former Vice Chancellor of Kebbi Point out University and Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto.

Some others ended up Sani Adam, a law firm and previous Deputy Vice Chancellor of the College of Abuja and Dr Baba Bila, a Chartered Accountant and former Bursar of the College of Benin.

President Muhammadu Buhari had previously sworn in the a few commissioners at the Presidential Villa in advance of the commencement of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting.

NAN also studies that the recently sworn-in REC is Sa’idu Ahmad, a Professor of English Literature from Bayero College Kano.

Mr Ahmad, who had been deployed to Zamafara, filled the emptiness for Jigawa, becoming the only condition without a REC, subsequent the completion of tenure of Abdullahi Kaugama, who experienced previously served as Secretary to the fee.

Though welcoming the a few new countrywide commissioners and the REC, Mr Yakubu urged them to sign up for the fee in increasing the bar of conducting credible elections in the region.

“The process in advance is tough but it is also a nationwide connect with to provider. It is critical to speedily settle in and familiarise yourselves with the procedures, techniques and responsibilities of your place of work.

“Let me reiterate at the time all over again that you ought to generally bear in brain that a credible election attracts intensely from the integrity of the election supervisors. I urge you to be part of us in increasing the bar even greater,” Mr Yakubu stated.

He expressed self confidence that the 4 new appointees would deliver to the commission, their extensive knowledge and practical experience as scholars and directors, in further extending the frontiers of absolutely free and honest elections in Nigeria.

Mr Yakubu recommended them to uphold the integrity of INEC and adhere to guidelines and polices in the discharge of their responsibilities.

“In addition to adherence to the provisions of the legislation, our achievement in this arduous activity also draws from our integrity as election administrators.

“We must be demanding in the software of the legislation business in dealing with the general public rely on bestowed on us and reasonable in our dealings with political functions and candidates.

“We will have to try to remember that in discharging our duties, Nigeria and Nigerians must always come initial.

“We will have to abide by our oaths of business to protect the preference created by Nigerians at the polls in all elections, and carry on to guard the sanctity of the vote without which democratic election is meaningless,” Mr Yakubu explained.

Mr Zuru, speaking on behalf of the appointees, commended President Muhammadu Buhari and leadership of the National Assembly for counting them deserving for the significant national assignment.

He pledged to abide by the oath they took to operate with honesty without the need of worry or favour, in carrying out their assignments.

He additional that with the leadership of Mr Yakubu, the new appointees would make INEC and Nigerians very pleased in advancing the system of democracy in Nigeria.

“I want to guarantee Nigerians that our aim will be the carry out of totally free, reasonable and credible elections at all situations, at all ranges.

“That is the assurance we are supplying ahead of Nigerians and our Lord,” Mr Zuru reported.

Emphasize of the situation was the swearing in of Mr Ahmed as REC.

(NAN)