BVAS: INEC to deploy 4000 machines ahead of Ondo Governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to deploy over 4,000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS) for the Ondo State governorship election on November 16. The Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ondo State, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, shared these details during a media forum in Akure. A total of 4,002 BVAS will be used, with 812 reserved as backups.

Babalola emphasized that INEC is committed to ensuring a smooth electoral process, with 17,705 trained ad hoc staff ready for deployment. She also mentioned that the issuance of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) in the state began on October 17 and will continue until October 29, with cards available at 18 Local Government Area Offices starting October 23.

She raised concerns about the risks of fake news as the election approaches and urged journalists to help combat misinformation. Babalola assured that INEC has coordinated with security agencies to ensure the safety of all election participants, including media members.

Additionally, INEC reported that 55,859 PVCs were collected during the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) period from October 17 to 21. This figure represents 62.2% of the 89,777 cards available, marking the highest collection rate for PVCs in Ondo State within a five-day span since the CVR was initiated in 2015, according to INEC National Commissioner Sam Olumekun.