The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) National Commissioner and Chairman, Information Committee and Voter Education, Barr. Festus Okoye has rated the mock accreditation exercise in the state as successful.
Okoye stated this in Umuahia after monitoring the Mock Accreditation exercise in the state.
He described the mock accreditation in the state as having gone on well, explaining, “We decided to do this Mock accreditation first, to test the efficacy of the improvement we made to the BVAS and to be sure that it is going to perform optimally during the 2023 general elections.
“From our observation going around, it is very clear that the BVAS has performed very well and you could see the enthusiasm and the trust the people bestow on the BVAS”.
Addressing select newsmen earlier on Friday evening, the Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC Prof. Ike Uzochukwu said the mock accreditation will hold in 6 LGAs of the three senatorial zones, and in two selected polling units in each of the wards of the LGA, totalling 12 polling units.
According to him, “the exercise is basically to stimulate voter accreditation and note any challenges for better conduct” of the 2023 elections.
The BVAS he disclosed uses facial biometrics and fingerprints and encouraged Abians to turn out en mass for the exercise.
He further disclosed that the commission extended the collection of PVCs to the 5th of February for the elections that will hold on the 25th of February and 11th of March, 2023, adding “all we need for the exercise are already in place”.
He disclosed that the Commission has undertaken training of security personnel and ad-hoc staff in the state and as well engaging key stakeholders in the forthcoming election.
The Abia INEC REC expressed his excitement that the state is relatively safe, assuring that the elections are going to be free and fair.
Fielding questions from newsmen, Prof. Uzochukwu disclosed that about 2.120 million Abians registered, lamenting that more than 200 thousand PVCs are lying uncollected.
According to the INEC State Training Officer, Eke Okwun, about 100 security personnel from all arms of uniformed people were currently undergoing the first phase of training “to enable them to be acquainted with the electoral process and on what to do at each polling unit.
“Monitoring at the Urban 1 Primary School, (01-15-05-016) and Ugwunchara Primary School, (01-15-07-005) indicated low turnout of voters.
“At about 1.47 pm, of the 1253 registered voters at Urban 1 Primary School, only about 9 turned out, while at Ugwunchara Primary School, there was appreciable turnout, most at other units not for the exercise.”
According to an INEC Principal System Analyst at Urban 1 Primary School, Princewill Agbara, the BVAS performed excellently well.
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