The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room wants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to explain how it intends to ensure that data collected in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used in the election will be preserved for use in the review and audit of the elections.
The Situation Room says it is concerned about the question of preservation of data collected during the Presidential and National Assembly elections of 25th February 2023.
Reports indicating that the BVAS may need to be reconfigured or even erased for the upcoming State Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections due on Saturday, is a serious cause for concern for many stakeholders.
Barring any unforeseen circumstances, Appeal Court, will, today Wednesday, March 8, rule on the application filed by INEC to be allowed to reconfigure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) it used for the 2023 presidential election.
Labour Party’s Peter Obi, has argued, through his lawyers, that allowing INEC to wipe out the data on the BVAS will affect the substance of his case against INEC’s criminal manipulation of Nigeria’s electoral systems and processes.
INEC is arguing that it will transfer all the data on the BVAS to its backend server.
What many especially the LP has feared, is that INEC has not given Peter Obi’s forensic team these devices to inspect before the planned transfer of data.
Also, the data transfer protocol is not clearly spelt out and there is no guarantee on the credibility of the transfer process.
There is also the question why nearly 10 days after the elections, INEC has not issued the audit report of the BVAS, yet they are in a haste to technically compromise what the contenders against the February 25 elections claim is ‘the principal evidence of their fraudulent practices.’
The CSOs Situation Room is worrying that this could further pose additional credibility questions over the integrity and conduct of the 2023 general elections.
In a statement on Tuesday signed by its convener, Ene Obi, and co-conveners, Asma’u Joda and James Ugochukwu, the group noted that electoral accountability requires that information collected during elections are preserved for use in the audit and review of the election and for accountability purposes.
He said in the light of the disputations that have emerged and the controversy surrounding the 2023 general elections, they want INEC to ensure that its records and data related to the election are held safely to ensure its use for the purposes of scrutiny and accountability.
“The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room (Situation Room) is concerned about the question of preservation of data collected during the Presidential and National Assembly elections of 25th February 2023.
“Situation Room will like the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to clarify to the public how it intends to ensure that data collected in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used in the election will be preserved for use in the review and audit of the elections.
“Electoral accountability requires that information collected during elections are preserved for use in the audit and review of the election and for accountability purposes. In the light of the disputations that have emerged and the controversy surrounding the 2023 general elections, Situation Room is asking INEC to ensure that its records and data related to the election are held safely and securely to ensure its use for the purposes of scrutiny and accountability,” the situation room said.
