Kogi guber: Protest, counter-protest at INEC Headquarter over transparency in BVAS usage

By Maxwell Usman, Kogi

Aggrieved Nigerians who are dissatisfied with the outcome of the November 11, 2023 Governorship election in Kogi State on Saturday stormed the headquarters of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), insisting that Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) must be allowed to work in a transparent manner.

The protest came amid tensions over the use of the BVAS in the Kogi State governorship election held in November last year.

The demonstrators, under the auspices of the Concerned Kogi Citizens’ Forum, led by Isaiah Davies Ijele, demanded transparency in the use of BVAS, alleging fraud and accusing INEC of manipulating the election results.

The protesters bore placards with inscriptions such as “Judges, BVAS matters,” “INEC Chairman, BVAS must be transparent!,” “Restore integrity in Nigeria’s elections!,” and “INEC, stop the BVAS fraud NOW”

The protest and counter-protest follow the dismissal of a petition by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) by the Kogi State election tribunal challenging the poll results, citing lack of evidence.

Muritala Ajaka, the SDP candidate, has appealed the decision, alleging fraud. He had previously sought to inspect the BVAS materials used in the election.

The Supreme Court upheld Ajaka’s request, ordering INEC to tender the BVAS devices and documents containing their identification users and a summary of the devices.

Speaking during the demonstration, Davies said:”We are pro-government, we stand for the Nigerian people, and we support the rule of law. Our purpose is to advocate for the preservation of INEC’s accreditation process. If accreditation were not beneficial, INEC would not have endorsed it.

“The smart card reader system was introduced in 2019 to eliminate electoral fraud, but it faced issues. Then, INEC introduced the BVAS, which cost over N500 billion. Unfortunately, the reality we are witnessing today does not align with the hope that was instilled.

“We want INEC to release the BVAS report to prove the election was free and fair. In Kogi State, for instance, the accreditation process would involve ters. However, some university professors

“We want INEC to release the BVAS report to prove the election was free and fair. In Kogi State, for instance, the accreditation process would involve 100 voters. However, some university professors hired by INEC as returning officers have been observed to announce election result figures that exceed the number of voters accredited. This constitutes electoral fraud. INEC should sanction such returning officers.”

Meanwhile, the Election Transparency Advocacy Coalition (ETAC), led by Peter Ugwuoke, countered with a protest of their own, backing INEC and the All Progressives Congress (APC).

“The election in Kogi State was free, fair, and credible. The winner of the election was declared by INEC in accordance with the law. We urge the losers to accept the outcome of the election and congratulate the winner, rather than trying to discredit the election and cause chaos in the state” he stated.