ANSIEC Rejects BVAS for Anambra Local Government Elections, Cites Reliability Concerns

The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has announced that it will not utilise the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for September 28, citing concerns over its reliability.

This was disclosed by ANSIEC Commissioner for Information and Logistics, Anthony Nnalue, during a sensitisation programme organised by the International Peace and Civil Responsibility Centre (IPCRC) on Thursday in Awka.

Speaking at the event, which was aimed at election observers and media personnel, Nnalue revealed that the commission had opted for manual accreditation, stating that it was a more dependable system.

“We will not use BVAS but manual. BVAS is not reliable; it has distorted the electoral process in Nigeria. We do not want a situation where election results are tampered with,” Nnalue explained.

He also assured that election materials would arrive on time, signalling the end of delays in the distribution of materials during elections in the state.

Nnalue noted that non-sensitive materials were already en route to the local government areas, and 5,720 ad-hoc staff have been trained to manage the elections across the state’s polling units.

“We are fully prepared and ready for the Saturday election in terms of security, materials, and other logistics,” he added.

However, Nnalue disclosed that elections will not be held in Nnewi South, Orumba South, and Idemili South local government areas, citing security concerns.

Instead, voters from these areas will cast their ballots at their respective council headquarters to avoid any risks to both officers and voters.

He urged the electorate to participate in the process, assuring them that their votes would count. “We urge the electorate to come out en masse and vote,” Nnalue said.

In his remarks, the Coordinator of IPCRC, Chris Azor, called on both politicians and voters to reject vote buying, violence, gender discrimination, and over-voting.

Azor also encouraged security agencies to remain neutral and respect human rights during the electoral process.

He further announced that IPCRC would set up a Situation Room in Awka for real-time coordination and reporting of the election.

“As accredited observers, we are committed to ensuring a free, fair, credible, and peaceful local government election in Anambra State,” Azor stated.