In a significant development, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) convened its regular meeting on Tuesday, October 10, 2023, to deliberate on various matters, including the meticulous planning and execution of the upcoming off-cycle Governorship elections in the states of Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi.
For these impending electoral contests, the Commission disclosed the current voter registration statistics, revealing a total of 1,056,862 registered voters in Bayelsa State, 2,419,922 in Imo State, and 1,932,654 in Kogi State, summing up to a cumulative total of 5,409,438 registered voters across the three states.
As per the established electoral timetable and schedule of activities, INEC has diligently prepared soft copies of the complete voter registers for each respective state. These invaluable documents will be presented to all political parties fielding candidates in the elections.
It is noteworthy that 16 political parties are sponsoring candidates in Bayelsa State, 17 in Imo State, and all 18 registered political parties in Kogi State. The presentation of the voter registers is scheduled to occur at the Collation Centers situated in the state headquarters of the Commission, specifically in Lokoja, Owerri, and Yenagoa. This event is slated for Thursday, October 12, 2023, commencing at 10:00 a.m.
State Chairmen of political parties or their appointed representatives are cordially invited to attend this crucial presentation event.
In a continuation of its commitment to leverage technology for enhanced voter accreditation and results management, INEC has concluded preparations for a mock accreditation exercise in the three participating states. The primary objective of this exercise is to test-run the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the uploading of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
The mock accreditation of voters is scheduled to be executed concurrently in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States on Saturday, October 14, 2023, commencing at 8:30 a.m. and concluding at 2:30 p.m.
To facilitate transparency and accessibility, INEC has already published the list of designated polling units for each state on its official website and various social media platforms.
The lessons derived from this test-run exercise will be instrumental in ensuring the seamless deployment of both the BVAS and IReV on the actual Election Day. It is essential to emphasize that this is exclusively a test-run and not the official election.
The Commission earnestly appeals to all registered voters within the selected polling units to actively participate in this exercise and present their Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) for verification.
Mr. Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner, and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, underlined these vital updates during the INEC meeting on Tuesday, October 10, 2023. These meticulous preparations demonstrate INEC’s commitment to conducting transparent and efficient electoral processes in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States.
