The Anambra State Independent Electoral Commission (ANSIEC) has announced that it will not be using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the upcoming Local Government elections scheduled for September 28.
This decision was revealed by Mr. Anthony Nnalue, the Commissioner in charge of Information and Logistics at ANSIEC, during a sensitisation event held by the International Peace and Civil Responsibility Centre (IPCRC) on Thursday in Awka.
Nnalue explained that the BVAS had proven unreliable in previous elections, leading the commission to opt for manual accreditation, which he described as more dependable.
He emphasized that the manual process would prevent tampering with election results, a concern associated with the BVAS.
He assured that election materials would arrive on time, with non-sensitive materials already en route to the local government councils.
ANSIEC has trained 5,720 ad-hoc staff to oversee the polling units across the state, and the commission is confident in its preparedness regarding security, materials, and logistics.
However, elections will not take place in Nnewi South, Orumba South, and Idemili South, where voters will instead cast their votes at their respective council headquarters due to security concerns.
Mr. Chris Azor, Coordinator of IPCRC, urged politicians and voters to reject vote-buying, violence, and other electoral malpractices.
He also encouraged security agencies to remain impartial and respect human rights.
IPCRC plans to operate a Situation Room for real-time election monitoring in Awka to ensure a transparent and credible process.
