The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has announced that it will not use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the upcoming local government elections scheduled for September 28.
Instead, manual accreditation will be employed, News About Nigeria reports.
The announcement was made by Anthony Nnalue, the Commissioner in charge of Information and Logistics for ANSIEC, during a sensitisation programme held in Awka on Thursday.
The event, organised by the International Peace and Civil Responsibility Centre (IPCRC), brought together accredited election observers and media personnel.
Nnalue explained that the decision to revert to manual accreditation was due to the poor performance of BVAS in previous elections, which had caused disruptions to the electoral process.
“We will not use BVAS but manual accreditation. BVAS is not reliable; it has distorted the electoral process in Nigeria. We do not want a situation where election results are tampered with,” he said.
Nnalue also assured voters that election materials would arrive on time, marking an end to the delays seen in previous elections.
He disclosed that non-sensitive materials were already en route to local government areas, and that 5,720 ad-hoc staff had been trained to manage polling stations across the state.
“We are fully prepared and ready for the Saturday election in terms of security, materials, and other logistics,” Nnalue said, adding that elections would not be held in Nnewi South, Orumba South, and Idemili South due to security concerns.
Voters from these areas will cast their ballots at the council headquarters to ensure safety.
“We urge the electorate to come out en masse and vote. Your vote will count,” Nnalue said.
Also speaking at the event, Chris Azor, Coordinator of the IPCRC, called on politicians and voters to remain vigilant and avoid engaging in vote buying, violence, gender discrimination, or over-voting.
He urged security agencies to maintain neutrality and uphold human rights and the rule of law throughout the electoral process.
Azor also announced the establishment of a Situation Room in Awka to monitor and report on the elections in real time.
“As accredited observers, we are committed to ensuring a free, fair, credible, and peaceful local government election in Anambra State,” he said.
