BVAS Remains Nigeria’s Future Not Manual Accreditation

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reaffirmed its commitment to technology-driven elections, declaring that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will remain central to Nigeria’s electoral process.

INEC Chairman Joash Ojo Amupitan made this known while addressing participants at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions, an event organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency.

The commission’s position was conveyed through National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu, who represented the INEC chairman during the conference attended by policymakers, technology specialists and civil society stakeholders.

According to Gossip News Now, the electoral body believes the deployment of BVAS has significantly strengthened the credibility of Nigeria’s elections by preventing voter impersonation and other forms of manipulation.

BVAS as a Safeguard Against Electoral Fraud

INEC explained that the biometric accreditation device plays a critical role in confirming the identity of voters before they can participate in elections.

Amupitan described the system as a reliable protective mechanism that ensures only eligible individuals are accredited at polling units across the country.

He emphasised that with biometric verification now integrated into the voting process, the era when individuals could vote multiple times or impersonate other voters has largely been eliminated.

Evidence from Recent Elections

The INEC chairman pointed to the recent Anambra State governorship election as an example of how effectively the digital system has functioned in practice.

During that election, thousands of accreditation devices were deployed across polling units, and the vast majority reportedly operated successfully throughout the process.

The commission also recorded a very high rate of results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) on the same day the election was conducted.

INEC said these outcomes reinforce the commission’s confidence in the digital infrastructure now supporting Nigeria’s electoral system.

Legal Backing for Digital Election Technology

Amupitan also highlighted the importance of the Electoral Act 2022, which provides the legal framework for the use of digital accreditation tools in Nigerian elections.

He noted that the legislation transformed technologies such as BVAS from optional administrative innovations into legally recognised instruments required for electoral operations.

According to the commission, this legal support has strengthened both the credibility of the technology and public confidence in the electoral process.

Challenges with Connectivity

Despite the progress achieved through digital election tools, the INEC chairman acknowledged that certain logistical challenges still exist.

One of the major obstacles involves internet connectivity across Nigeria’s vast network of polling units.

Many voting centres are located in difficult environments such as:

Remote rural settlements
Riverine communities
Mountainous terrain
Areas with weak telecommunications coverage

Because of these limitations, INEC has been working closely with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecommunications providers to explore new ways of improving network reliability.

Amupitan explained that the efficiency of digital election devices depends heavily on stable connectivity, making infrastructure development essential.

INEC Rejects Calls for Manual Accreditation

The INEC leadership also dismissed suggestions that the country should return to the manual accreditation method used before the introduction of BVAS.

According to the commission, manual systems are more vulnerable to manipulation and lack the transparency required for credible elections.

Amupitan stressed that the progress already made through technology is too significant to abandon.

He reaffirmed that the commission intends to continue refining its digital election systems in order to strengthen voter verification, ballot counting procedures and the public availability of election results.

Commentary and Analysis

The INEC chairman’s remarks underline the growing role of digital technology in Nigeria’s electoral reforms. Since the introduction of BVAS, debates about election credibility have increasingly focused on the reliability of technological tools rather than solely on human administrative processes.

While challenges such as network connectivity remain a concern, the commission’s continued investment in digital infrastructure suggests that technology will remain a central feature of future elections.

Political analysts believe that strengthening systems like BVAS and IReV could help improve voter confidence and reduce disputes over election outcomes.

As Nigeria prepares for future electoral cycles, the effectiveness of these digital systems will likely play a major role in shaping public trust in the democratic process.