We have learnt lessons from Osun – INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Mahmood Yakubu has exonerated the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) of any blame in the mix-up that now pitch Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke and former Governor Gboyega Oyetola stating how­ever that the commission has taken away vital lessons from the the entire saga.

Prof Yakubu said it was wrong to attribute the mix-up in Osun State governorship now before the court to BVAS, insist­ing the machine did not fail and has never failed in election.

Though he said the matter, now before the court, was sub judice and would not warrant any commentary, the INEC boss said valuable lessons had been taken by the commission and have already been applied to ensure the success of the com­ing general election.

Prof Yakubu, who spoke when he led INEC chiefs to mon­itor Saturday’s mock accredi­tation exercise in the Federal Capital Territory, said one of the critical lessons from the Osun state gubernatorial election is that accreditation figures would now be transmitted simultane­ously with results from polling units to the result viewing por­tal (IREV).

The INEC boss said: “The BVAS has never failed any­where. And obviously as you have seen here the machine actually never failed. I wouldn’t like to comment on a live matter in court – it is sub judice.

“But in every situation the commission learns and carries over the experience from what has happened so as to improv­ing the processes for the next election.

“We have learned some les­sons from what happened and one of the lessons is to be able to transmit the accreditation data. So we have a sample results sheet here that will transmit the accreditation data. But there is no results sheets because peo­ple have not voted ( in the mock exercise).

“So on the IREV portal, we have created a new URL for those of you that are on the Re­sult Viewing portal.

“And if you go home after 2.30, you will see the result of the mock transmitted from the 437 polling units nationwide, includ­ing the details of accreditation and we are going to transmit both the results on Election Day and the accreditation figures.

“So the two will run, by this we are given assurance assur­ance that on election day, both the accreditation data and the actual votes cast will be trans­mitted simultaneously and ac­curately.”

He rated the mock accredi­tation exercise in FCT and else­where in the State as successful, noting that the purpose set out by the commission has been achieved.

Speaking shortly after in­specting exercise in Bwari Cen­tral polling Unit, close to the pal­ace of Etsu Bwari, one the four polling units designated for the exercise in FCT, Prof Yakubu said that he was satisfied with the outcome, noting that speed of the accreditation process, estimated at 30 seconds is sat­isfactory.

“Essentially what we intend to achieve is to test further the integrity of the machines that we are going to deploy on elec­tion day.

“We are satisfied with the tests carried out in our office, but we need to test the machines in the field ahead of the election, bearing in mind that this is the first time we are deploying the machines nationwide.

Meanwhile, critical observ­ers have expressed concerns over the ruling of the Osun State Governorship Tribunal, advis­ing that INEC should ensure that the Bimodal Voter Accred­itation System (BVAS) is made full proof to avoid confusion in the coming general elections.

It would be recalled that the Osun Governorship Tribunal, in a majority judgment of two against one, recently ruled in favour of the former Governor Adegboyega Isiaka Oyetola.

The observers maintained that a repeat of whatever trans­pired during the last Osun gov­ernorship election that necessi­tated the tribunal ruling against the supposed winner, Ademola Adeleke of the Peoples Demo­cratic Party (PDP), should never be allowed to repeat itself.

Barrister Alaowei Cleric, Chairman, Board of Trustees, Centre for Human Rights and Anti-Corruption Crusade (CHU­RAC), maintained that what happened in Osun State was a mop-up error, considering what INEC is saying about the differ­entials in the BVAS reports.

He said: “The electoral body ought to have concluded the mop-up exercise before issuing information from its database to an applicant.

“The electoral body should learn a lesson from their mis­takes in Osun State. I believe INEC made a huge error by issu­ing incomplete BVAS reports to the APC if what they’re saying is correct.

“Let me reserve further comments on this because the matter is in court.”

Another commentator, Comrade Aluh Moses Odeh, the National Leader, All Middle Belt Youth Forum (AMBYF), described what happened in Osun during the governorship election as a big disgrace on the part of the electoral agency.

He said: “It is a big disgrace to those staff of INEC who did not see their work as service to father land, but an opportunity to make money in a crooked way.”