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From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has claimed that the deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has effectively solved the protracted challenge of identity theft and multiple voting in Nigeria’s elections.
Amupitan stated this at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) in Abuja yesterday.
Represented by Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, national commissioner, Amupitan, in his keynote address, stressed that the era of multiple voting and identity fraud was over.
He noted that the BVAS signposted a milestone in the nation’s democratic history, having become a foolproof mechanism for verification.
“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, having become a ‘foolproof mechanism’ for verification. It has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit.
“With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system.”
He backed his assertion with the BVAS’ data from the recently concluded Anambra State governorship election, explaining that the 6,879 BVAS devices configured and deployed for the polls recorded a highly commendable performance.
He added that over 99 percent of the polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day itself.
“These outcomes confirm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture. The figure announced at the polling units is the same figure visible to the public. Technology has safeguarded the vote,” he claimed.
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The 2004 University of Iowa Fulbright visiting scholar reminded the gathering that previous technologies and innovation lacked the ‘teeth’ of the law, which left the commission vulnerable to technicalities in election tribunals.
He highlighted Section 47(2) as the watershed provision that transformed digital devices from mere administrative guidelines into statutorily protected pillars of the electoral system.
“This legislative foundation ensures that our digital tools have both operational and legal legitimacy. It has strengthened public trust and enabled the Commission to innovate with confidence,” he explained.
The erudite law professor, however, admitted that while voter impersonation and multiple voting had been largely tackled with BVAS, connectivity remained a logistical headache.
“A tool like the BVAS is only as good as the network it runs on,” he admitted, noting that the commission would continue to engage the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) and network providers to find ways of addressing the challenge, while actively exploring alternative technologies to bridge the gaps.
He also sent a strong signal to the political class that there is no U-turn in deploying technology for elections in the country, firmly shutting the door on any suggestion to return to manual procedures, describing the old model of manual accreditation as vulnerable to human interference.
“The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse,” the INEC boss insisted.
He outlined a future where the Commission would not only stick with the current technology but actively upgrade it to more seamless solutions.
The INEC chairman reiterated that ‘ghost voter’ practice common to Nigerian elections, had become a thing of the past and the Commission had no intention of looking back.
“Our mission is simple. To ensure that every eligible voter is accurately verified, every vote is properly counted and every result is transparently shared. Technology has helped us secure these foundations of democracy,” he added.
