The introduction of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) machines into Nigeria’s electoral process has significantly reduced rigging and produced results that shocked legacy parties, writes Adebayo Folorunsho‑Francis. When the idea of BVAS was first mooted by the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu, it generated mixed feelings among the populace. The BVAS device is used for voter accreditation through biometric capture, uploading of polling results, and other functions. Many Nigerians were uncertain about its impact on the country’s long history of election irregularities—rigging, ballot‑box snatching, thuggery, shootings, voter intimidation, vote buying, violence, and collusion with ad‑hoc electoral agents and security operatives. Their concerns seemed valid, given the casualties from bloodletting, thuggery, and post‑election violence. Nevertheless, Yakubu remained steadfast, presenting himself as an umpire determined to improve on his predecessor, Prof. Attahiru Jega.
In recent interviews, Prof. Mohammad Kuna, a special adviser to INEC Chairman Yakubu, explained that biometric technology verifies permanent voter cards and enables human recognition through fingerprint and facial recognition. The device can also capture images of the polling unit result sheet (Form EC8A) and upload them to INEC’s Election Result Viewing platform (IReV). BVAS thus plays a crucial role in confirming the authenticity of voters’ cards and accrediting voters. Kuna emphasized that the electronic design makes it impossible to tamper with results uploaded to IReV; once sent, the data cannot be edited or recalled. Former Akwa Ibom State Resident Electoral Commissioner Mike Igini added that BVAS returned power to the people by making rigging virtually impossible for politicians.
The impact of BVAS became evident after the July 16 governorship election in Osun State, where incumbent APC Governor Adegboyega Oyetola lost to PDP candidate Ademola Adeleke, who garnered 403,271 votes to Oyetola’s 375,027. A tribunal later nullified the election, citing BVAS evidence of alleged over‑voting in Adeleke’s favour. This episode sparked accusations of foul play, threats to abandon BVAS, and concerns about vulnerability to hackers and telecom challenges in network‑poor areas. Yakubu publicly declared that the BVAS system “has come to stay” and that the era of ballot‑box stuffing is over. INEC National Commissioner for Information Festus Okoye echoed this sentiment, calling BVAS a game‑changer and insisting that no protest or political pressure could halt its use in the 2023 elections, as mandated by the Electoral Act 2022.
The 2023 elections indeed produced surprising outcomes. In Lagos, a stronghold of APC kingmaker Asiwaju Bola Tinubu, Labour Party candidate Peter Obi edged out Tinubu with 575,735 votes to 573,001, winning nine local government areas. Tinubu, however, prevailed in ten other LGAs. Similarly, APC National Chairman Senator Abdullahi Adamu lost the Nasarawa South senatorial district to SDP candidate Ahmed Wadada (96,488 votes). At least seven outgoing governors failed to secure Senate seats after two terms. Among the PDP’s “G‑5” aggrieved governors, Samuel Ortom lost Benue North West to APC’s Titus Zam; Ifeanyi Ugwuanyi fell to Labour’s Okechukwu Ezea in Enugu North; and Okezie Ikpeazu was defeated by APGA’s Senator Enyinnaya Abaribe in Abia South. Their losses have cast doubt on the prospects of the fourth G‑5 member, Governor Seyi Makinde, in the upcoming Oyo governorship race.
In other states, former PDP governor Darius Ishaku of Taraba lost his senatorial bid to APC’s David Jimkuta, while APC governors Simon Lalong (Plateau) and Ben Ayade (Cross River) also failed to win Senate seats. Kebbi’s APC governor Atiku Bagudu was unseated by Senator Adamu Aliero, and former Kano governor Kabiru Gaya lost his long‑held Senate seat to NNPP candidate Kawu Sumaila. PDP Senator Philip Aduda, known as the “Abuja landlord,” was defeated by Labour Party’s Ireti Kingibe, a non‑indigene of the Federal Capital Territory.
These results demonstrate that BVAS has revealed a new electoral reality. Prior to the 2023 presidential and National Assembly elections, the expected permutation might have seen candidates such as Obi, Tinubu, Kwankwaso, and Atiku sharing the ballots of the 84 million registered voters, with speculation about last‑minute vote swings. Instead, BVAS delivered transparent, tamper‑proof outcomes that reshaped Nigeria’s political landscape.
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