- INEC’s Rotimi Oyekanmi assures readiness for Edo State governorship election, stating that BVAS machines are prepared and glitches resolved
- Oyekanmi emphasizes that technology aids elections but isn’t foolproof, acknowledging past issues while affirming INEC’s commitment to improvement
Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), stated that the commission has learned from its past experiences. He made these comments while discussing INEC’s preparedness for the upcoming governorship election in Edo State during an interview on Channels TV’s “Politics Today.”
Oyekanmi mentioned that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines are ready for the election, and the commission has resolved the glitches encountered in previous elections.
When asked about measures to ensure a seamless election process, Oyekanmi emphasized, “Technology is good; it has helped INEC’s work, but it’s not a silver bullet that solves all problems. Even global tech companies experience downtimes, and devices can sometimes malfunction.”
He further explained that while there were issues during previous elections, these glitches were corrected, and the results are available on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV). He affirmed that INEC is prepared for the Edo election, saying, “We have learned our lessons. This is the third governorship election we are conducting in Edo. The first in 2016 and the second in 2020 were successful, and we are now ready for the third one.”