By Ikechukwu Okaforadi
The chairman, Senate committee on Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) yesterday said the Committee has discovered that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BIVAS) used by the electoral Commission in Anambra election has a ‘serious’ problem.
Fielding questions from journàlists on the recent Anambra governorship election yesterday in the National Assembly shortly after defending the 2022 budget of the Committee before the Senate Committee on Appropriations, Senator Gaya however expressed optimism that the challenges would be rectified by the Commission.
“We keenly watched the Anambra governorship election and we realised that BIVAS have serious problems. We are surprised that the machines malfunctioned at the Anambra governorship election because they worked perfectly when INEC demonstrated them for us at the committee.
“We have agreed to try the machines in other elections coming up in 2022 so as to determine their functionality before the 2023 general elections. We still have the Ekiti and Osun elections coming up. However, INEC is already working on the solution so that we would not have problems in 2023.
“I will not agree that it is a case of sabotage because it is an electronic device that could fail, but we already have provisions for spare. If a machine fails, a new one would be brought in”, he said.
He said it is good that it happened in the Anambra governorship election, adding that if it had happened at the general elections, it would be a catastrophe.
“Unlike in the past when funds for elections were not released a few weeks to elections, this time, we specifically mentioned that part of the funds meant for the election must be provided a year before the election.
“That is why we have a proposal for partial release of N100 billion for for the 2023 general elections in the 2022 budget. We are hoping that we could get further funding before the election.
“The N100 billion will allow INEC to order materials that it would need ahead of the elections, including machines that could be manufactured here in the country”, he said.
Speaking also on the Electoral Act, Gaya said “Its amendments were made based on the views and requests of Nigerians. I believe that it will help to guarantee free, fair and credible elections in the country.”
He also spoke on the compulsory direct primary to be adopted by political parties as provided in the amended Electoral Act, Gaya said “I believe that direct primary is taking democracy to the grassroots. That is what President Buhari always talks about.
