…commences BVAS trial run in Plateau
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has established committees for National Situation Room and Collation Centre for the 2023 general elections.
In a statement on Thursday in Abuja, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Barrister Festus Okoye said that the commission’s Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu heads the Collaboration Secretariat Committee as National Chairman, while the National Commissioner, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu chairs the Situation Room Committee.
”As general elections approach, the commission establishes a national situation room and collation centre where the results of presidential elections are collated.
”Once again, the International Conference Centre in Abuja will serve as the venue for this important exercise”, Okoye said.
He said that the Collation Secretariat is where the presidential election results from the states would be collated.
Okoye explained: “This will be headed by the chairman of the commission, in exercising his constitutional responsibilities as the Chief Electoral Commissioner of the Federation and Returning Officer for the presidential election. In addition, a few technical staff will assist him.
”The second is the Situation Room and Collation Centre Committee.
”This shall be responsible for the preparation of the venue, seating arrangement, utilities and services, security, the accreditation of party agents, as well as the national and international observers, media, etc”.
He said that the committee members were National Commissioners: Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, and Okoye; Directors of Electoral Operations; ICT; Planning and Monitoring.
Others are: Directors of Security; Election and Party Monitoring; International Cooperation and Protocol; Research; Health Services; and Estate, Works and Transport.
Also listed as members of the committee were Chief Technical Adviser to the Chairman; Special Adviser to the Chairman; Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman; while the Director of the Commission Secretariat will serve as Secretary.
Okoye said that the situation room and collation centre committee was inaugurated by Yakubu, who charged it to start work in earnest and to discharge its responsibilities diligently.
Meanwhile, the commission has commenced the trial run of the newly-acquired Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) in Plateau State, ahead of this year’s general elections.
INEC’s Head of Voters Education and Publicity Department in the state, Egwurube Otokpa revealed this on Thursday on the heels of reported delivery of BVAS machines in the state, adding that they would be deployed in the over 300 polling units across the 17 Local Goverment Areas of the state during the poll.
According to Otokpa, the test run of the BVAS, which started on Wednesday at INEC headquarters in Jos, was being conducted by a team of officials from INEC headquarters in Abuja, led by Dr Jane Ifedeora.
He said: “We have started test-running the BVAS that will be used in Plateau State during the 2023 election, and all the machines are running smoothly. The exercise started yesterday (Wednesday), and so far, so good.
“The team was led by Dr Jane Ifedeora from the ICT Department at INEC Headquarters in Abuja. The team anchored the demonstration session in the presence of the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Oliver Tersoo Agundu, to see the test and configuration aspects with 15 other staff members of the State ICT Department.
“As of the last count on Wednesday, when the test running exercise started, we have tested 800 BVAS. All of them were found to be in good condition and were working very well. And today (Thursday), we are continuing with the testing until all the BVAS sent to the state are tested”.
The INEC official, who did not disclose the number of BVAS machines being tested in the state, however assured voters of the commitment of the electoral body to conduct a free and fair election.
He said: “Of course, if there is any problem discovered during the test trial, we will fix it, and that is why we are doing the test run. We also have extra BVAS that will take care of any challenge if the need arises. But when we are done with the testing, I will tell you the number of BVAS that we have for the election in Plateau State”.
