The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Ojo Amupitan, has assured residents of Ekiti State of adequate security and the commission’s preparedness for the June 20 governorship election, saying massive deployment of security personnel has been arranged to guarantee a peaceful and credible poll.
Amupitan gave the assurance on Friday after leading a team of National Commissioners and top INEC officials on a mock accreditation and assessment exercise across selected polling units in Ado-Ekiti and Emure/Ise/Orun Local Government Areas of the state.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise, the INEC chairman said the commission was satisfied with the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), describing the technology as a “game changer” capable of enhancing the credibility of the electoral process.
According to him, the mock exercise demonstrated the efficiency of the BVAS, which successfully accredited voters within minutes and detected individuals who attempted to verify the system by presenting themselves at polling units where they were not registered.
“We are happy with what we have seen. The BVAS worked very well, the internet connectivity is functioning effectively, and there has not been any challenge reported by our officials,” he said.
Amupitan dismissed concerns that the accreditation system could become overwhelmed in polling units with large numbers of voters, explaining that INEC had already made provisions for such situations through the splitting of polling units and deployment of additional BVAS devices where necessary.
He also highlighted improvements introduced into the system to prevent manipulation of election results.
“With the safeguards now embedded in the BVAS, it is impossible for any presiding officer to upload a result that is not correct. If figures entered do not tally, the result will not be accepted into our system, thereby ensuring transparency and accountability,” he stated.
The INEC chairman further disclosed that the commission had engaged Electoral Officers across the state and addressed logistical challenges identified during an earlier assessment visit.
He expressed confidence that voting would commence as scheduled on election day, noting that all non-sensitive election materials had been distributed while sensitive materials were expected to arrive ahead of the poll.
On security, Amupitan said INEC had collaborated with security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) to identify potential flashpoints and put adequate measures in place.
“We have identified areas where there may likely be security challenges, but from the arrangements we have put in place, we can assure everybody that there will be no issue of insecurity,” he said.
He revealed that security personnel from different parts of the country would be deployed across the state to ensure the safety of voters, election officials and electoral infrastructure.
“We are deploying massively to ensure that voters are guaranteed their safety. We can also guarantee the safety of our officials and our infrastructure,” Amupitan added.
The June 20 governorship election is expected to be one of the first major electoral tests of INEC’s strengthened technological and security frameworks, with stakeholders closely monitoring the commission’s readiness to deliver a free, fair and credible poll.
