TheCable

Dele Momodu, publisher of Ovation magazine, claim sey di Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) spend N355 billion ontop di bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) for di 2023 elections.

“Why dem go waste resources wey we no get wen we fit just change from democracy to monarchy,” na so part of di Instagram post wey get 3,325 likes and 793 comments tok.

“N355 billion for BVAS and 5 pipu tok sey im bin no dey necessary to use? No bi somtin to laff bi dat? Oh, dis kontri sef?” di post finish to tok.

Momodu bin contest in di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential primary wey hapun in May 2022.

As im no win di primaries, di party presidential campaign council give am appointment as di campaign director on strategic communications.

BVAS

Di bimodal voter accreditation system (BVAS) na technological device wey INEC bin introduce in 2021 to promote credible elections. 

Di device dey verify voters for di polling unit through biometrics capturing. 

Dem dey also use BVAS store voting data, take foto of di result sheet (form EC8A), and to upload di result sheet foto ontop di IReV.

OPPOSITION NO GREE AS INEC NO TRANSMIT PRESIDENTIAL RESULTS ELECTRONICALLY

During di build-up to di election, INEC bin tok sey di commission fit transmit all di election results electronically.

However, di commission bin fail to transmit the presidential results electronically, sake of technical glitches. Di mata bin make plenti citizens vex and na why di opposition challenge Tinubu victory.

One month afta di election, Festus Okoye, former chief informate for INEC, tok sey e bin “no correct” to suggest sey taxpayers’ waste dia moni because of di “glitch” wey di commission experience as dem dey upload di presidential results.

TRIBUNAL JUDGEMENT

On September 6, di tribunal rule sey President Bola Tinubu win di February 25 election.

Di tribunal, wit Haruna Tsammani as oga, dismiss di petitions wey Atiku Abubakar of di Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Peter Obi of di Labour Party (LP), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), file to challenge Tinubu victory.

All di members of di tribunal tok sey di pettions “no get head”.

Di tribunal also tok sey INEC fit decide di way wey im wan transmit election results.

Di five-man panel still come add sey di electoral act no force di commission to transmit results electronically.

DI MONI WEY DEM SPEND ONTOP BVAS

In 2021, as im dey defend budget before di senate committee on appropriation, Mahmud Yakubu, INEC chairman, bin tok sey di commission go spend N305 billion ontop di 2023 elections.

In 2022, Yakubu come explain sey apart from di cost of elections, na N50 billion naira di commission bin expect sey dem go use for di 2023 budget, increase of N10 billion compared to di N40 billion 2022 budget. 

To join di 2023 budget of N50 billion and di N305 billion wey dem tok sey dem go use for di general election, di total budget for 2023 enta N355 billion.

INEC election project planning (EPP) committee tok sey out of di N305 billion election budget, di commission reason “N161.9bn for electoral operational and administrative costs, N117.1bn for electoral technology costs; N18.5bn for electoral capital costs”.

Di committee tok sey dem keep N7.4 billion for “contingency for unforeseen electoral expenses’’.

Di moni wey dem use buy di BVAS machine bin dey under di N117.1 billion for technology costs.

FINAL TOK

Di claim wey tok sey INEC spend N355 billion ontop di BVAS machine as Dele Momodu claim no correct.

Di total moni wey INEC budget for di 2023 election na N355 billion – N305 billion for di election and N50 billion for dia annual budget.

Out of di N305 billion budget for election, di commission use N117.1 billion for technology. Therefore, na inside di N117.1 billion dem spend ontop BVAS.