Group urges NASS to make BVAS mandatory for elections

A group, Concerned Kogi Citizens Forum has urged the National Assembly, the Senators and members of the House of Representatives to ensure that the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC make the Bi-Modal Voter Accreditation System(BVAS) mandatory for elections.

The group which also took to the streets in the Federal Capital Territory, however, protested against what it described as the bypass of the BVAS technology in recent elections in the country.

The group took its protest from the Unity Fountain, Maiitama, to the Federal Ministry of Justice and the National Assembly, just as it called on the two arms of government to ensure that BVAS is made mandatory to safeguard the country’s democracy.

The letter of protest which is titled “LETTER OF PROTEST AGAINST BVAS FRAUD” read: “Our Protest Letter is premised on one issue which is the recent BVAS fraud in the just concluded Kogi State Governorship Election of the 11” day of November, 2023 where the BVAS Technology was bypassed.

“Kogites feel so betrayed that after all the assurances given by INEC that BVAS machines will be used to curb overvoting, some INEC officials compromised and sold Kogi State out.

“As members of the CONCERNED KOGI CITIZENS FORUM, we are here to appeal to you to use your good office to save democracy in Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole. We are also humbly making this legitimate demands from you:

“We demand that Sections 64 {4} and 7 {2} Of The Electoral Act, 2022, which made BVAS mandatory for accreditation during elections be made operational without loopholes to be used for the good of all Nigerians.

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“We demand that the taxpayers’ money used to pass this bill, procure, and deploy BVAS technology must not be wasted at the expense of INEC, which has failed in its constitutional responsibilities.

“We further demand that the National Assembly must as a matter of urgency prevail on INEC to be impartial at all times.

“We demand that the INEC chairman, Professor Mahmoud Yakubu be summoned before the senate to explain to Nigerians why he authorized his staff and legal team to defend the malpractices that were carried out against their {INEC’s} own process and creation (BVAS machines).

“We have lost hope in Professors conducting our elections and we demand that the Institutions be changed immediately. Our Professors have let us down.

“We call for a change to other institutions like Retired Soldiers, Pastors, Imams, Traditionalists, etc to replace Professors during our elections.

“We further demand that INEC should declare election results from the IREV and only after confirming the exact number of accredited voters on BVAS.

“We strongly oppose Professors harming our institutions. ” Professors have displayed their incompetence in the conduct of our elections over the years and we demand for a change.”

NIGERIAN TRIBUNE