INEC to test upgraded BVAS ahead of Anambra governorship election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will conduct a mock accreditation exercise in Anambra to test the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the November governorship election in the state.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Victoria Eta-Messi, director of voter education and publicity, the commission said the exercise will hold on Saturday, October 25, across selected polling units in the state’s three senatorial districts.

INEC said the mock exercise will assess the BVAS’ response time and the efficiency of result uploads on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

“The mock accreditation exercise will allow INEC to test the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), assess its response time, and test the uploading of results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal ahead of the main election,” the statement reads.

Polling units selected for the exercise are located in Awka south, Idemili north, Oyi, Anambra east, Aguata, and Orumba north local government areas.

INEC encouraged voters in the selected polling units to participate actively, noting that their involvement would help the commission fine-tune its operational and technological processes before the election.

Meanwhile, the commission said collection of permanent voter cards (PVCs) for newly registered voters in Anambra state will begin on Wednesday, October 22, and end on Sunday, October 26.

The agency said voters who took part in the recent continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise should visit the registration area where they initially registered to collect their PVCs.

INEC stressed that PVC collection will be strictly in person, warning that “there will be no collection by proxy under any circumstances”.

“All registered voters are urged to ensure they collect their PVCs within the specified period to be eligible to vote in the forthcoming governorship election in Anambra state,” the statement added.

INEC reiterated its commitment to transparency, operational efficiency, and stakeholder confidence as preparations for the 2025 Anambra governorship election continue.