Mock Accreditation: Why INEC migrated voters to new units – Official

By Ijendu Iheaka

Mrs. Rebecca Jim, Head, Voter Education and Publicity, INEC Abia on Saturday said that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) migrated some voters from their original units to new sub-units to reduce pressure and ensure less cumbersome elections.

Jim made this clarification while speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria NAN at Aba North LGA on Saturday.

Jima was monitoring the INEC Mock Accreditation exercise in Aba North which is one of the selected centres for the exercise in three senatorial districts of Abia.

She regretted that many voters so moved to smaller units had not known about it stressing that soon INEC will begin educating voters on the action.

She, however, counseled voters to check the Voters Register at the Polling Centre locate near their Units which must be close to the old Polling Centre.

She said that the mock accreditation exercise was meant to check how well BVAS will work during the elections.

Jim, while responding to questions asked on the functioning of the machine, said that the BVAS can function on and off-line and handle finger or facial recognition.

She also noted that its battery power can work for three days on the stretch without recharging unlike the earlier.

She reminded residents that INEC requires their assistance to make the election free, fair and credible and urged vigilance from the electorate.

Some residents of Aba North LGA who spoke to NAN on the exercise expressed faith in INEC’s BVAS system and showed eagerness to vote in the coming elections.

Dr Mrs. Chinyere Ndubuka, who registered at the Eziama Ward 1 Unit 05 at Abia Polytechnic, said she came early to the venue and cleaned and prepared it for INEC to conduct the mock accreditation.

She said the success of the exercise and the situation in the country had made voting mandatory for every living Nigerian for the February 25 elections, stressing her readiness to exercise her civil obligation.

Mrs. Josephine Anyanwu, who registered at Eziama Railway Phase 1, Ward 1 Unit 01 in Aba North LGA, said that she was satisfied with the system’s operability.

She said she had been voting in the past and her votes never counted but expressed hope that this time, it will be different as the INEC machines will help to sanitize the system.