INEC Prepares for Off-Cycle Elections with Voters Register Presentation and Mock Accreditation

By Iyojo Ameh

In anticipation of the forthcoming off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has taken substantial steps to ensure a smooth and transparent electoral process.

During a recent meeting, INEC revealed crucial details regarding its preparations for these elections. National Commissioner & Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr.

Sam Olumekun mni, highlighted the Commission’s commitment to transparency and participation by disclosing the number of registered voters for each state: 1,056,862 in Bayelsa State, 2,419,922 in Imo State, and 1,932,654 in Kogi State, amounting to a total of 5,409,438 registered voters across the three States.

As part of its preparations, INEC will provide soft copies of the complete voter registers to political parties fielding candidates. In Bayelsa State, 16 political parties are sponsoring candidates, 17 in Imo State, and all 18 parties are participating in Kogi State.

State Chairmen of political parties or their designated representatives are invited to attend the presentation event, scheduled for Thursday, October 12, 2023, at 10:00 AM, taking place at the Collation Centres in the State Headquarters of the Commission in Lokoja, Owerri, and Yenagoa.

Furthermore, INEC is embracing technology to enhance the accreditation of voters and result management. The Commission has finalized preparations for a mock accreditation of voters in the three States, serving as a test-run for the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

The mock accreditation of voters is set to occur concurrently in the three States on Saturday, October 14, 2023, from 8:30 AM to 2:30 PM. The list of designated polling units for each State is available on INEC’s website and social media platforms. It’s important to note that this is a test-run and not the actual election. Lessons learned from this exercise will be invaluable for ensuring the seamless deployment of both BVAS and IReV on Election Day.

INEC strongly encourages registered voters in the selected polling units to participate by bringing their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for the mock accreditation exercise.