The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has affirmed that the introduction of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has decisively addressed the longstanding problem of voter identity theft in Nigeria’s elections.
This was disclosed in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola.
Speaking at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, Prof. Amupitan—represented by National Commissioner, Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu—stated that Nigeria has entered a new era where multiple voting and impersonation have effectively been eliminated.
He described BVAS as a transformative innovation in the nation’s democratic process, calling it a “foolproof mechanism” for confirming voter identity.
“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,” he said. “With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system.”
Referencing the recently concluded Anambra Governorship Election, the INEC Chairman highlighted that all 6,879 deployed BVAS devices performed commendably, with over 99 percent of polling unit results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on election day.
He emphasized that BVAS and IReV have moved beyond the experimental phase to become entrenched components of Nigeria’s electoral infrastructure, ensuring that the results announced at polling units match the data visible to the public.
Prof. Amupitan also underscored the importance of the Electoral Act 2022, noting that earlier technologies lacked adequate legal backing. He described Section 47(2) as a turning point that elevated digital election tools from administrative innovations to legally protected instruments.
“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 said.
However, the INEC Chairman acknowledged that challenges remain, particularly regarding network connectivity across the country. With 176,846 polling units situated in diverse terrains—from remote villages to swampy and mountainous regions—real-time transmission of results continues to pose logistical difficulties.
“A tool like the BVAS is only as good as the network it runs on,” he noted, adding that the Commission is working closely with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and telecom providers while exploring alternative technologies to improve connectivity.
Despite these challenges, Prof. Amupitan made it clear that INEC has no intention of reverting to manual accreditation, which he described as “vulnerable to human interference.”
“The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse,” he said, adding that the Commission is committed not only to sustaining current technological systems but also to upgrading them for greater efficiency.
As the conference concluded, the INEC boss reiterated that the era of “ghost voters” in Nigeria is over.
“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,” he stated.
