The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has vehemently denied allegations of tampering with accredited voter figures in the recently concluded Kogi governorship election, News About Nigeria reports.
In a statement by Alhaji Mohammed Haruna, a National Commissioner and Information and Voter Education Committee member, INEC refuted media reports claiming manipulation of voter accreditation data on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Haruna clarified that the most accurate and current voter accreditation information is stored in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which is utilised for the authentication and accreditation of registered voters at polling units during elections.
He emphasised that the BVAS is designed to function primarily offline, ensuring a faster and more seamless experience for voter authentication and accreditation.
Explaining the intricacies of the BVAS, Haruna noted that the device automatically retains accreditation data and exports it to the Accreditation Backend System (ABS) when active and connected to the internet.
However, when the application is inactive or internet connectivity is poor, data exportation may be delayed.
Haruna further clarified that synchronisation of data occurs at the close of the polls when presiding officers press the data exportation button on the BVAS.
This process, ongoing and referred to as synchronisation, could lead to changes in accreditation figures as additional data is received to update existing figures.
He emphasised that the accreditation data cannot be altered on the BVAS after the polls close, and the caveat provided on the IReV portal regarding accreditation figures reflects the ongoing synchronisation process.
Haruna urged the public to disregard misleading reports and misinformation circulating in the media.
