INEC Chairman Says Technology Has Ended The Era Of Ghost Voters In Nigeria
In an era where trust in electoral systems is increasingly tied to digital innovation, Nigeria’s electoral umpire says a major turning point has been reached.
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has declared that technology, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), has finally shut the door on voter impersonation in the country.
Speaking at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions in Abuja, the INEC Chairman, represented by National Commissioner Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, said BVAS has proven to be a “foolproof mechanism” for verifying voters and eliminating identity fraud.
According to him, the device has become INEC’s “frontline defence” against electoral malpractice, ensuring that only genuine voters are accredited at polling units.
He backed his claim with data from the recent Anambra Governorship election, where 6,879 BVAS devices were deployed and over 99% of polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day.
Prof. Amupitan noted that BVAS and IReV are no longer pilot innovations but firmly entrenched in Nigeria’s electoral architecture.
The Electoral Act 2022, he said, transformed digital tools from administrative guidelines into legally recognised components of the electoral process, significantly boosting public confidence.
However, the INEC boss admitted that challenges remain, especially with network connectivity across Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units.
Many are located in remote or hard-to-reach areas, making real-time result uploads difficult.
He assured the audience that the Commission is working closely with the NCC and exploring alternative technologies to close the gaps.
Despite these hurdles, the Chairman dismissed any suggestion of reverting to manual accreditation, calling it “vulnerable to human interference.”
He insisted that the gains of digitalisation were “too significant to reverse” and reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to strengthening technological deployment in future elections.
With BVAS now tackling impersonation and multiple voting, the INEC Chairman declared that the notorious era of “ghost voters” has been laid to rest.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5XTFg0n
