The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that over 194,464 Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines will be deployed nationwide in all polling units as preparations for the 2023 general election ramp-up.
According to the commission, 176,846 of the 194,464 BVAS machines will be deployed to all polling units across the country, with an additional 8,809 machines serving as backups.
WITHIN NIGERIA reported on Wednesday that the electoral umpire received the final shipment of BVAS machines at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport as part of its contingency plans for all critical election materials.
However, it was gathered that INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye, told Punch on Wednesday that INEC would deploy a machine to each of the 176,846 polling units across the country, and that each registration area, numbering 8,809, would also receive at least two BVAS as a backup in case of malfunction, bringing the total to over 194,464 BVAS machines.
According to him;
We have 176, 846 polling units in Nigeria. All of them will have a BVAS. Some polling units may still have more than 750 registered voters. We shall deploy additional BVAS to such polling units.
We have 8,809 registration areas in Nigeria. Each one will have at least two BVAS for purposes of quick intervention in cases of sustained malfunction of BVAS in any of the polling units in each electoral ward.
Meanwhile, WITHIN NIGERIA previously reported from a separate statement that the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, other national commissioners, and senior commission officials were at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport in Abuja to receive the BVAS.
Okoye revealed that the INEC team, officials from the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company (NAHCO), and airport security officials were among those present at the airport to receive the consignment.
The commissioner remarked that;
In furtherance of the preparations for the 2023 general election, the commission, yesterday, 3rd January 2023, received the last consignment of the bimodal voter accreditation machines with 52 days to the election.
The commission’s Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, national commissioners and senior officials of the commission were at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, to receive the BVAS. Officials of the Nigeria Customs Service, the Nigerian Aviation Handling Company and airport security officials were at the airport to receive the INEC team.
To facilitate the smooth delivery of the machines, the commission created four airport hubs in Abuja, Kano, Lagos, and Port Harcourt. Over the last four months, several flights delivered the BVAS to the designated airports for movement to states of the federation ahead of the elections.
’With the arrival of the last flight in Abuja yesterday, the commission has now taken delivery of the required number of the BVAS for all the polling units in the country and extra machines in line with our contingency provisions for all critical election materials.
The commission appreciates the support of all Nigerians in its determination to conduct a free, fair, credible, transparent, and inclusive 2023 general election facilitated by the deployment of technology.