The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Cross River State recently clashed with the Inter Party Advisory Council (IPAC), which consists of various political parties, regarding the inspection of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) allocated to the state. The IPAC demanded an inspection following allegations that some BVAS units had been taken to the Governor’s Lodge. However, during a meeting held in Calabar on Tuesday, the state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Gabriel Yomere, asserted that all 3,281 BVAS units allocated to the state were secure and intact.
This assertion led to a walkout by IPAC members, who were led by their state Chairman, Anthony Bisong, after they were denied access to inspect the machines. Yomere emphasized, “No BVAS left INEC office to any other place. INEC is fully in control. Preparation for the 2023 general elections is going on smoothly.” He explained that each state’s BVAS units are distinct and would be configured at polling units. For security reasons, particularly due to previous attacks on INEC offices, the exact locations of the BVAS units are not disclosed, with only the police and the Department of State Services (DSS) permitted access.
Yomere further stated, “There is nothing INEC is hiding. We know our BVAS. If Agba Jalingo (who made the allegation) can bring BVAS that belong to this office, I will resign my position. I did a physical counting of the BVAS, which have not been configured. So it will be useless for anyone to steal them. They are empty and will be configured according to polling units. What has been done is to test them for functionality.” The Deputy Commissioner of Police in charge of Operations, Frank Inaku, confirmed that the BVAS units were indeed intact following inspections conducted by the police and DSS.
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