INEC rules out return to manual accreditation

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has dismissed suggestions of reverting to manual accreditation in Nigeria’s elections, insisting that the Commission will not abandon its technological gains. Prof. Amupitan, who spoke through National Commissioner Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions in […]

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has dismissed suggestions of reverting to manual accreditation in Nigeria’s elections, insisting that the Commission will not abandon its technological gains.

Prof. Amupitan, who spoke through National Commissioner Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions in Abuja, said the era of human-driven processes that compromised the integrity of elections had ended.

He declared that BVAS has become central to protecting the credibility of polls, stressing that the Commission would not “look back” after witnessing the impact of digital tools on voter verification and result transmission.
“The old model of manual accreditation is vulnerable to human interference,” he said. “The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse.”

The INEC Chairman said the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had effectively curtailed multiple voting and impersonation, noting that the device now serves as a reliable safeguard at polling units.
“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited,” he said.

He supported his position with data from the recent Anambra governorship election, where 6,879 BVAS devices were deployed. According to him, more than 99 per cent of polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on election day.
“These outcomes confirm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture,” he said.

Prof. Amupitan added that the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Section 47(2), had strengthened the Commission’s confidence by giving statutory backing to digital accreditation tools.
“This legislative foundation ensures that our digital tools have both operational and legal legitimacy,” he said.

While admitting that network connectivity remained a challenge in some remote areas, he said INEC is engaging the NCC and service providers to improve transmission capacity.
“A tool like the BVAS is only as good as the network it runs on,” he said. “We will continue to explore alternative technologies to bridge the gaps.”

The INEC Chairman reaffirmed that the Commission would deepen its technological approach ahead of future elections.
“Our mission is simple; to ensure every eligible voter is verified, every vote is counted, and every result is transparently shared,” he said. “Technology has helped us secure these foundations of democracy, and we have no intention of going back” he added.