By Our Reporter
The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has announced that it will not be using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the upcoming local government elections on Saturday. The commission deemed BVAS unreliable and lacking credibility, based on its poor performance in previous elections across Nigeria.
Tony Nnalue, ANSIEC’s Commissioner for Information and Logistics, made this announcement during a sensitization event organized by the International Peace and Civil Responsibility Centre (IPCRC). According to Nnalue, the commission has chosen to rely on manual accreditation, believing it to be more trustworthy.
“We will not use BVAS but manual accreditation. BVAS has distorted the electoral process in Nigeria, and we don’t want election results tampered with under the guise of BVAS,” Nnalue stated.
He added that over 5,720 ad-hoc staff have been trained to manage the election process across the state’s polling units. While Nnalue did not disclose the number of political parties participating, he confirmed that all relevant parties would be involved.
“Elections are not gifts; those who are serious will win,” he added. Voter registration data from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will be utilized for the polls.
Due to security concerns, elections in certain areas, such as Nnewi South and Idemili South, will be conducted in their respective local government councils.
Chris Azor, Coordinator of the IPCRC, emphasized the need for vigilance against issues like vote buying, violence, gender discrimination, and over-voting. He reiterated the organization’s commitment to ensuring a free, fair, and peaceful election through independent observation.
Azor also urged political parties to promote peaceful engagement and security agencies to maintain neutrality while respecting human rights. Accredited observers will monitor the election process, adhering to the observers’ code of conduct, he stated.
In addition, Azor announced that IPCRC would deploy observers across the state and set up a Situation Room in Awka for real-time coordination and reporting. He urged stakeholders to stay focused on restoring local government democracy after over a decade of its absence in Anambra.
