2023 Elections: IPAC rates INEC 70%

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) received a 70% rating from the Lagos State Inter-Party Advisory Council in the conduct of Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections.

Mr Mobolaji Olusegun, the state Chairman of IPAC, commended INEC in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, but added that much more needed to be done to ensure a credible election.

In light of the challenges of late delivery of election materials to polling units and malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at some polling units, Olusegun stated that INEC still had a lot to correct ahead of the March 11 gubernatorial and state legislative elections.

” I can only score INEC 70 per cent for these elections, though they have tried to improve on everything they are doing, but the system is still not as perfect as it ought to be.

“With the BVAS, I expected a much more stable and more coordinated system, the result collation should not take this long with the BVAS in place,” he said.

Olusegun advised the INEC to upgrade the (BVAS) for seamless vote counting and transmission.

He said the system could be better perfected such that money spent on electoral materials could be channelled toward the upgrade of the BVAS.

According to him, the BVAS should be upgraded to enable the electorate accredit, vote and automatically count and transmit online for everyone to access.

He noted that the upgrade was important and should be done promptly to guard against reoccurrence of similar hitches in upcoming elections.

“The electoral law allows us to go digital in voting and if it does not, let us amend it. It costs less and it will be less stressful.

“If the BVAS was made to transmit the result, the situation wouldn’t have been like this, we should have the result online and even a situation room.

“The BVAS technology is not yet perfected and should be upgraded for seamless electioneering process on March 11,” he said.

Olusegun further advised INEC to address logistic issues by contracting movement of election materials to logistic companies within the country.

“I moved round during the elections to Agege, Ifako-Ijaiye, Alimosho and Ikeja, aside the issue of late arrival of election materials and malfunctioning of BVAS, I saw the environment fair and peaceful.

“We only need to improve on technology so let INEC put its house in order to guard against reoccurrence of similar challenges.

“They should put their report together, assess their errors and make corrections ahead of March 11,” he advised. (NAN)