The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is a “game changer” for elections after a successful mock accreditation exercise conducted across the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the February 21 Area Council elections, Commission Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan said on Saturday.
INEC conducted the mock accreditation exercise on Saturday in designated polling units in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, to test operational readiness and the technical performance of the upgraded BVAS devices ahead of the February 21 Area Council elections.
Prof. Amupitan led a delegation that included National Commissioners and the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner. They visited several polling units during the exercise, including NIPOST in Area 10 Garki and Government Secondary School Wuse Zone 3, among others.
Prof. Amupitan said the commission’s aim was to identify and address technical issues before the actual election. He said the BVAS machines accredited voters quickly, in about five seconds or less per person, during the mock exercise.
During a simulation, the system prevented a repeat accreditation attempt, testing its capacity to block double voting.
The INEC chairman also assessed the preparation of election officials, including Supervising Presiding Officers, who were undergoing training at Government Secondary School in Area 10.
Prof. Amupitan said non‑sensitive materials for the Area Council polls had been distributed to various councils ahead of the election.
Addressing concerns about internet connectivity in remote areas, he said the commission enhanced protocols and provided presiding officers with personal hotspots to help ensure results upload.
He explained that the BVAS is designed to upload results automatically to the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal when a network signal is detected.
Prof. Amupitan noted low turnout in the mock exercise and emphasised the role of political parties in voter mobilisation, saying INEC is responsible for civic education but that parties should lead in encouraging voter participation.
Prof. Amupitan said: “We don’t want to use the main election as a guinea pig. This is basically to test operational preparedness… and our major target and focus here is the functionality of the BVAS, which for us is a game changer.”
He also said: “With this technology, there is no way you can be accredited twice. There’s no way you can vote twice.”
INEC’s remarks come as the commission prepares for the February 21 Area Council elections in the FCT, which are seen as part of broader preparations for the 2027 general elections.
Successful testing of the BVAS could influence public confidence in voter accreditation and result transmission technologies ahead of future polls.
