By Passman Akpos
The BVAS which stands for Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, should have being the best technology for a clean, rig free election in Nigeria, if not the negative and self serving influence of greediness, power drug and the ineptitude of politicians.
Like the word Bimodal, is a system that allows for voter authentication using finger print and facial recognition technology.It operate using online and offline, this means, data in the BVAS can be sent to the INEC result viewing portal either online or offline.
Whether there is network or not it can send data to the portal.The technology is actually built, base on the nature of our terrene and low network condition. Is a device that can distribute data both offline and online, that’s made it Bimodal in nature.
I really don’t want to be told as a journalist who always wanted a first hand information with full proof of fact check.I applied for the 2023 INEC Ad-hoc Staff for the general election in order to get a first hand information.
I went for the three days training conducted by INEC for the purpose of the general election.In the cause of the training, it was substantiated and established that, INEC is confers with the power to transmit election results electronically using the BVAS in section 47(2), 60(1,2&5) 64(4a&4b) and 64(5) of the Electoral Act 2022.
I worked in Bayelsa State, yenagoa to be precise, in ward 6, unit 044.During the election, I was privelleged to operate the BVAS machine to verify and accredite voters and the same time transmit result, it was successful I must confess.
In my unit, we had 750 registered voters, out of these number, only 138 were accredited using the BVAS machine.Anybody I accredited using the BVAS machine will now proceed to pick the ballot paper, then the fellow will now proceed to the voting cubicle to cast His or her vote.
In the cause of the voting, I noticed something.The various party agents, especially those of the APC and the PDP were restless, using Dollars to influence vote, even I and my team were given some Dollars but that’s doesn’t move me from doing the right thing.
When votes were sorted and counted, Labour Party scored 104 out of the 138 accredited voters.This translated to every other polling Unit in the state.
It was unfortunate that, when result were announced in Bayelsa State, Labour Party came behind.
The Labour Party does not needs party Agents, the Voters are agents themselves, because the voters in my unit, made sure results were transmitted before they leave the polling Unit.
This was the case of every other state accross the federation.
Politics is a game, that’s true, I quite aggree with that, because every game is a contest, and politics is a contest between people.
Every game has a rule, when the rules are not obeyed the participant in question will be disqualified or stop to participate in the game.
Rigging in politics is subject to disobeying the rule of the game in politics and tantamount to disqualification.
Politics is a game of number; your ability to influence greater number of the people, not forcefully or inducement to vote for you, makes you a better Politician or the master of the game.
The act of INEC on the recent election is deliberate, because, I know, INEC does not have any excuse to tell Nigerians as to why they failed to transmit the election results electronically.
Nigeria has what it takes to develop, resources are abundant in this Nation to develop greatly and be among one of the developed Nations of the world.
The manipulators of this Election have paid heavily for their misdeed to get into power, while in power, they must do all they could to recoup all their expenses and put a gain on top.In doing this, the rest of the Masses or the development of the Nation must be put on hold.
The youth must stand to fight this evil!
God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria!
I am PASSMAN AKPOS, a journalist, political Analyst, social commentator, publisher, A Child of God, Author…….
