In advance of the November governorship election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a mock accreditation exercise in Anambra State to evaluate the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)'s functionality.
The commission stated in a statement that was released on Saturday by Victoria Eta-Messi, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, that the exercise will take place on Saturday, October 25, across selected polling units in the state's three senatorial districts.
As part of preparations to ensure a smooth electoral process, the mock exercise, according to INEC, is intended to evaluate the BVAS's response time and the efficiency of result uploads on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
The statement read, "In preparation for the main election, the mock accreditation exercise will enable INEC to test the upgraded BVAS, evaluate its response time, and ensure seamless transmission of results on the IReV portal."
The commission chose to hold the election in polling places in the local government areas of Awka South, Idemili North, Oyi, Anambra East, Aguata, and Orumba North. In order to improve the commission's technological and operational systems ahead of the governorship election, INEC urged voters in the selected locations to actively participate.
The collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for newly registered voters will begin on Wednesday, October 22, and end on Sunday, October 26 as announced by INEC. It emphasized that proxy collection will not be permitted and advised those who participated in the most recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to collect their PVCs from the registration areas where they initially registered.
The statement went on to say that "all registered voters are urged to collect their PVCs within the specified period to be eligible to vote in the upcoming governorship election." As preparations for the Anambra governorship election in 2025 intensify, INEC reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, efficiency, and stakeholder confidence.