Immediate past Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu has said that Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) does not depend on internet service to function on election day.
Prof Yakubu specifically said that the BVAS device performs voter accreditation without any internet connection at polling units, stressing that the machine does not require internet to upload as it functions offline.
The former INEC Chairman’s explanation reverberated following public debate over Senate’s consideration of the Electoral Act with regards to making electronic transmission of election results mandatory.
Yakubu, who stated these in an interview he granted while still serving, but which is currently trending, squarely put the issues in proper context thereby weakened the position of the Senate on the matter.
The Senate amendment of Section 60 of the 2022 Electoral Act allows electronic transmission of results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV), but with a caveat that gives priority to manual result sheets where electronic upload fails.
But, Yakubu said; “Network access is only needed after voting ends and when results are to be transmitted electronically. Polling officials scan the result sheet using BVAS and upload it when they reach an area with network coverage.
“When it comes to transmission of results, that is where it needs network, but if there is no network in the immediate vicinity, the scanned image of polling unit level result which is taken using BVAS will be transmitted as soon as the staff moves from the polling unit to the collation centre,” the former INEC boss explained.
Yakubu also disclosed that INEC has been working with telecommunications companies to improve coverage in areas known as network blind spots, saying; “we are working with telecommunications companies and we are satisfied that there are blind spots that can be addressed”.
The BVAS system was introduced to strengthen transparency by using biometric accreditation and uploading polling unit results to a public portal.
Yakubu’s clarifications has further assured Nigerians that voting itself is not disrupted by internet challenges as only the transmission of results depend on availability of network.
Based on the Senate amendment, presiding officers must attempt to upload results electronically after voting, but if it fails as a result of network problems, Form EC8A will be used as the main document for collation and declaration.
The decision has triggered criticisms from stakeholders that included Civil Society groups and opposition political parties who noted that the Senate’s amendment weakens election transparency.
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