A group called the Nigerian Intellectual Forum don advise the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct pre- and post-election audit. This advice dey come because of the irregularities wey dem observe during the use of the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the Bayelsa governorship election in 2023.
The Director General of the Forum, Mr Soala Jumbo, make this call during a media parley wey focus on electoral reforms and the effectiveness of the BVAS and the INEC election result viewing portal. The parley happen in Port Harcourt, the capital of Rivers State.
Jumbo talk say the BVAS machine get three key features: accreditation of voters, taking photograph of results after election, and transmitting the number of accredited voters directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). However, he allege say INEC deactivate the feature wey allow direct transmission of accreditation figures after the Bayelsa election.
He explain say this feature important because it help to verify if the number of accredited voters match the result sheet. Without this feature, it dey hard to interrogate the result sheet properly.
Jumbo commend INEC for the technological measures dem implement but insist say pre- and post-election audits necessary to improve the electoral process in Nigeria. He advise say INEC should conduct these audits before every election cycle so that civil society organizations, political parties, and their agents can ask necessary questions about the devices to be used.
