The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said the use of bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) to conduct elections, has eliminated incidences of multiple voting and identity fraud in the country.
INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan, at 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions in Abuja, held on Tuesday, said BVAS signposted a milestone in the nation’s democratic history, as it has become a ‘foolproof mechanism’ for verification.
Prof. Amupitan who was represented by
Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner, disclosed that the 6,879 BVAS devices configured and deployed for the Anambra State governorship election, recorded commendable performance.
He stated that over 99 percent of polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal through BVAS on election day.
“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit.
“With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system,” the INEC Chairman stated.
According to him, with the successes recorded at the Anambra governorship, “the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture.
“The figure announced at the polling units is the same figure visible to the public. Technology has safeguarded the vote.”
He stated that previous technologies, while innovative, were not recognised by law, and were responsible to technicalities witnessed in election tribunals.
Prof. Amupitan described Section 47(2) of the Electoral Act, 2022 as a watershed provision that transformed digital devices from mere administrative guidelines into “statutorily protected pillars” of the electoral system.
“This legislative foundation ensures that our digital tools have both operational and legal legitimacy. It has strengthened public trust and enabled the commission to innovate with confidence,” he explained.
The INEC Chairman however noted that
connectivity is still a challenge to the use of BVAS, and blamed this on the nation’s uneven telecommunications landscape.
He pointed out that with about 176,846 polling units located in swamp areas, on mountains, and hidden in far-flung communities, achieving real-time upload of polling unit results to the IReV remains one of the toughest battles for transparency on election day.
“A tool like the BVAS is only as good as the network it runs on,” he admitted, but assured that INEC will continue to engage the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and network providers to find ways of addressing the challenge, while actively exploring alternative technologies to bridge the gaps.
“The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse.
“Our mission is simple: to ensure that every eligible voter is accurately verified, every vote is properly counted, and every result is transparently shared.
“Technology has helped us secure these foundations of democracy,” Prof. Amupitan added.
