The mock accreditation exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been marked by low turnout in major cities across Anambra State. Our correspondent visited several designated polling units in Onitsha, Obosi, Nnewi, and Awka on Saturday and observed that few registered voters were present at the time of filing this report. Despite the sparse attendance, INEC officials at some centres in Onitsha, Obosi, and Awka reported that the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used for the mock accreditation was operating seamlessly.
INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu explained that the commission had taken delivery of BVAS machines for the upcoming election and had tested them to ensure functionality, prompting the need for a mock accreditation similar to those carried out in the Ekiti and Osun state governorship elections. However, residents of Onitsha who attended the exercise expressed displeasure over the lack of awareness, insisting that the commission had not done enough to sensitize the public.
At a designated centre in Onitsha South Local Government Area, INEC Assistant Electoral Officer Reginald Onyeukwu assured that the mock accreditation was proceeding smoothly and satisfactorily. He explained, “We are test‑running our equipment for the elections. Voter accreditation can be done by fingerprint or facial recognition. If a fingerprint fails, we use the facial image, and the system registers a pass. We are testing the system so it will not fail on election day. We want to prove that we can conduct credible, free, and fair elections across the country.” When questioned about the low turnout, Onyeukwu claimed that the public had been well informed through local government chairmen, who in turn notified town messengers. “Our system is very fast; we have already accredited about 35 people here, and the exercise is moving quickly without wasting time,” he added.
One resident, Josephine Uko, praised the accreditation process but attributed the low turnout to cash scarcity. She said, “People are queuing at bank ATMs looking for cash. Many are unaware that a mock accreditation is happening today. The timing is wrong; what concerns people now is where to get cash, which has been scarce in recent weeks, not this exercise.” Our correspondent observed the BVAS capturing fingerprints and facial images of the few registered voters present without any issues.
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