The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed confidence in its preparedness for the June 20 Ekiti State Governorship Election following the successful conduct of a statewide mock accreditation and voting exercise designed to test critical election-day technologies and procedures.
The exercise, conducted across selected polling units in 12 local government areas, served as a practical assessment of the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and other operational arrangements ahead of the governorship election.
Officials and ad-hoc staff who monitored the exercise at various polling units, including Polling Units 9 and 10 in Ado-Ekiti, reported smooth accreditation and voting processes.
They noted that voter verification through the BVAS took between one and two minutes, with no significant technical glitches recorded during the exercise.
Speaking with journalists after inspecting several polling units, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, described the outcome as encouraging, saying the exercise had demonstrated the Commission’s readiness to conduct a credible election.
He explained that the mock poll formed part of INEC’s comprehensive assessment of operational preparedness, particularly the deployment and effectiveness of technology in the electoral process.
Professor Amupitan said the Commission was determined to ensure that all systems function optimally before election day, adding that the exercise confirmed the reliability of the BVAS.
According to him, the technology successfully identified individuals who attempted accreditation at polling units other than where they registered, reinforcing safeguards against electoral fraud and multiple voting.
The INEC Chairman stressed that the successful performance of the BVAS had further strengthened public confidence in the credibility of the forthcoming governorship election.
He maintained that the Commission remained committed to delivering a free, fair and transparent poll that reflects the will of the electorate.
He also assured residents of adequate security arrangements across the state on election day and urged all eligible voters to come out peacefully and participate in the democratic process by casting their votes on June 20.
