The Director-General of Voice of Nigeria (VON), Osita Okechukwu has described President Muhamadu Buhari’s endorsement of Electronic Transmission of results, better known as Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) in the rejected Electoral Act Amendment Bill as a Christmas gift to Nigerians.
Buhari had declined assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill on the basis of the consequences of direct primaries made compulsory by the legislation but approved of Electronic transmission of election results therein.
The founding All Progressives Congress (APC) member in a statement commended the President and National Assembly members for the 2021 Christmas gift of Electronic Transmission of results in the country’s elections.
He said: “A lot of those disappointed over Mr. President withholding of assent to Electoral Act 2010 Amendment Bill 2021; did not appreciate the significance of the retention of Electronic Transmission of results. This is the BVAS Xmas Gift, the vaccine to vote rigging and enabler of free and fairer elections in Nigeria.”
Okechukwu observed that by collectively endorsing the use of BVAS technology, President Buhari, federal lawmakers, and dedicated officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) deserve commendation for gifting the country with such a wonderful vaccine to election rigging.
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He assured Nigerians that Buhari will bequeath Nigerians with a clean amended Electoral Act as a good gesture for the development of our country’s democracy.
“I am humbled, especially when one recalls the cacophony of damaging voices over the Electoral Act Amendment Bill 2021. But, looking at the inclusion of the BVAS technology, one is compelled to thank Mr. President, NASS and INEC, for not throwing away the baby with the bathwater.
“The brighter side is that with the eyes of experience and determination to eliminate confusion in the electoral system, President Buhari did not assent to the bill as presented, but rather made salient observations, which is expected in the spirit of envisaged Executive-Legislature cooperation would be patriotically resolved.
“That is the hallmark of a liberal democracy that thrives on a collaborative Bipartisanship synergy between the executive and the parliament, particularly for a Presidential system. That it did not go down well with many people is understandable, especially given the national outcry against the sustained despotism of our dear Emperor like State Governors,” Okechukwu stated.
He urged Nigerians to take time out of their Christmas holidays to go through the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, Mr. President’s response, and INEC submission, which endorsed the BVAS as a vaccine to vote-rigging.
“The BVAS has come to stay. So too is the uploading of polling unit results on INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in real-time on election day. We are convinced that the introduction of technology in voter accreditation and result management is better than the best entirely manual process. It also increases public confidence in the process. We will continue to deepen the use of technology in our elections.
“Therefore, the retention of Section 87 of the 2010 Electoral Act in the new Electoral Act 2021/2022, is more dangerous to APC and PDP than to ordinary Nigerian citizenry. Indeed it is Booby-Trap to APC and PDP. Anambra State gubernatorial election of 2021 is a case study of the efficacy of BVAS as the new vaccine to ballot banditry and election rigging,” he added.
