The Independent National Electoral Commission said its Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal are not scams.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, made this clarification during a conversation organised by the commission on X on Saturday in Abuja.
In his presentation, titled “BVAS and IREV: Facts and Myths,” Bayode said both BVAS and IREV were technological innovations aimed at enhancing the electoral process.
He emphasised that INEC had taken bold steps and made concerted efforts to improve the credibility, transparency, and accuracy of elections through technology.
Bayode described BVAS and IREV as key components of Nigeria’s election process, noting that various misconceptions had created doubts about their functions.
“There is a belief that BVAS and IREV are scams. “This misconception arises from misunderstandings, technical issues, and general distrust in the electoral process. However, this belief is incorrect,” he said.
“BVAS verifies voters using fingerprint and facial recognition, ensuring that only accredited voters cast their ballots.
“IREV is an online portal that allows the public to view scanned polling unit results for transparency. It does not count votes or collate results,” he said.
He dismissed the notion that technical failures, such as slow uploads, server downtimes, or network issues, equated to fraud.
“These challenges do not mean the system was designed to deceive voters. Rather, they highlight areas that need improvement in election management,” he explained.
Bayode further debunked the myth that BVAS transmitted election results, stressing that its primary role was voter accreditation and authentication.
“BVAS does not directly transmit election results. Instead, results are recorded on Form EC8A, which is then uploaded to IREV,” he stated.
“BVAS is used at polling units for voter accreditation. IREV is an online platform where scanned polling unit results are uploaded for public viewing.”
NAN
