INEC Chairman Declares Voter Impersonation Era Over With BVAS Deployment

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared an end to voter impersonation in Nigeria, citing the effectiveness of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in safeguarding the integrity of elections.

According to Ireporter Online, INEC Chairman Joash Ojo Amupitan, represented by National Commissioner May Agbamuche-Mbu, made the announcement during the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions organized by the National Information Technology Development Agency.

Dayo Oketola, Amupitan’s Chief Press Secretary, stated that the INEC boss described BVAS as a “foolproof mechanism” capable of preventing 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 the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system,” he said.

Addressing technology experts, policymakers, and civil society representatives, Amupitan highlighted the recent Anambra Governorship election as evidence of BVAS efficiency. All 6,879 devices deployed performed successfully, with over 99 percent of polling unit results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal on Election Day. He emphasized that both BVAS and the IReV system have now become permanent components of Nigeria’s electoral process, moving beyond experimental tools.

Amupitan also cited Section 47(2) of the Electoral Act 2022, noting that the legislation formally recognizes digital tools as statutory instruments for conducting elections. “This legislative foundation strengthens public trust and enables the Commission to innovate with confidence,” he said.

While acknowledging BVAS’s successes, the INEC chairman admitted that network challenges remain, particularly across Nigeria’s 176,846 polling units in remote, riverine, and mountainous areas. The Commission is collaborating with the Nigeria Communications Commission and telecom operators to explore technological solutions to improve connectivity.

Amupitan rejected suggestions to revert to manual accreditation, citing the transparency and reliability advantages of BVAS. “The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse,” he said, reaffirming INEC’s commitment to continuously upgrading its digital tools.

He concluded by reaffirming that the era of “ghost voters” has ended and pledged that the Commission will continue leveraging technology to ensure every eligible voter is accurately verified, every ballot properly counted, and every result transparently shared.