The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has declared that Nigeria has effectively eliminated voter impersonation thanks to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Speaking at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibition, organized by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), Prof. Amupitan, represented by National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu, said the biometric system has become a “foolproof mechanism” that prevents identity theft, multiple voting, and other accreditation-related malpractices.
“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit. With these biometric safeguards in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system,” he stated.
Using the recent Anambra Governorship election as an example, Prof. Amupitan noted that all 6,879 BVAS devices deployed for the poll performed exceptionally, with over 99% of polling unit results successfully uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) on Election Day. These achievements, he said, demonstrate that BVAS and IReV are now integral to Nigeria’s electoral process.
He also highlighted the importance of the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Section 47(2), which grants digital tools both operational and legal legitimacy.
“This legislative foundation has strengthened public trust and allowed the Commission to innovate with confidence,” he added.
However, Prof. Amupitan acknowledged that network connectivity remains a challenge in some areas, especially in Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units spread across difficult terrains like riverine, mountainous, and remote communities.
“A tool like the BVAS is only as good as the network it runs on,” he explained. He further stated that INEC is actively collaborating with the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) and telecom providers while exploring other technological solutions to improve connectivity.
Despite these hurdles, the INEC chairman insisted that the Commission would not return to manual accreditation, which remains susceptible to human interference and falls short of the transparency required for modern elections.
“The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse. Our commitment to technology is irreversible, and we will continue to enhance our systems to ensure every eligible voter is verified, every ballot counted accurately, and every result transparently shared,” he affirmed.
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