By From Gordi Udeajah (Umuahia) and Murtala Adewale (Kano)
Eligible voters turned out in their large numbers, yesterday, to participate in the mock accreditation exercise conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Kano.
INEC embarked on the mock accreditation exercise nationwide to test the functionality of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the general elections.
In Kano, INEC deployed ad-hoc staff and about 48 BVAS machines for the exercise held at six wards in 12 polling units across six local councils, spread within the three senatorial districts, which commenced at exactly 9am.
At the Kano central, the exercise held at Dorayi primary school (014) PU and (015) PU – both in Dorayi ward, Gwale local council. Still under Kano central, the exercise held at Naibawa primary school (015) PU and (050) PU in Naibawa ward, Kumbotso council area.
Similarly, at the Kano North, the accreditation was conducted at Hagagawa primary school (008) PU and (009) PU in Bichi ward, Bichi local council. In Dawakin-Tofa local council, the exercise held at Dawanau ward in Dawanau cikin Gari (08) PU and Bagadawa saiji (031) PU.
As at 10.05am when The Guardian visited Dorayi primary (014) PU and ((015) PU, Dorayi ward, electorate trooped out to take part and perhaps to ascertain the veracity of the new electoral machine.
An electorate, Abdulhamid Umar who spoke with journalists at the polling unit after accreditation, confirmed the seamless process of the new machine. Umar applauded INEC’s ingenuity with the introduction of BVAS, appealing to them for sustainability.
The electoral officer, Gwale local council, Babangida Falalu said the seven BVAS machines deployed for the two PUs have justified the trust of INEC to conduct credible election.
In Abia State, the success of the mock accreditation exercise attested to the readiness of INEC to conduct credible general elections.
Reports of the successful conduct of the exercise in Aba and Umuahia were confirmed by INEC officials at the polling units monitored by The Guardian.
The State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Professor Ike Uzochukwu, who spoke after monitoring the exercise in company of the INEC National Commissioner in Charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Festus Okoye, described the exercise as hitch free and encouraging.
The REC had on Friday told journalists in his office that about 200,000 PVCs were yet to be collected in the state and urged those affected to do so before today’s deadline.
Source: The Guardian
