The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that it carried out a mock trial of the updated Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at 289 polling units across the Federal Capital Territory in preparation for the recent Area Council elections.
Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, disclosed this on Thursday during an appearance on Sunrise Daily, responding to questions about issues raised during the elections.
Ifogah explained that the test-run was designed to assess the effectiveness of recent updates to the BVAS, which aim to strengthen result management and enhance credibility at polling units.
“Prior to the FCT elections, we did a mock trial for the update that was done on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, in 289 polling units all around FCT,” he said.
He added that under the upgrade, presiding officers input results directly into the BVAS after collating votes at their polling units. The system now features a built-in validation mechanism that cross-checks uploaded results against previously recorded data.
“If the scanned image of the EC8A form, containing tabulated results, does not align with the accredited voter numbers and figures already recorded in BVAS, the system will not process the submission until accuracy is verified,” Ifogah explained.
According to him, the new functionality goes beyond simply capturing and transmitting images of result sheets. The upgraded BVAS can now validate scanned information against pre-recorded data, ensuring that results reflect actual votes cast and accreditation figures.
INEC said the update is part of its ongoing efforts to improve transparency, accuracy, and public confidence in the electoral process.