Concerns have been expressed about reports suggesting that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System may need to be modified or even erased for the upcoming governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections by a coalition of more than 80 human rights organizations operating under the auspices of Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room.
warning that it could "further pose additional credibility problems regarding the integrity and conduct of the 2023 general elections" while urging the Independent National Election Commission to make its clarification known.
The NCSSR Conveners, Ene Obi,
The issues were brought up by Asma'u Joda and James Ugochukwu in a statement on Tuesday night.
The organization was concerned about the issue of data preservation following the February 25, 2023, Presidential and National Assembly elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission should make clear to the general public how it intends to guarantee that the data gathered in the BVAS utilized in the election will be retained for use in the review and audit of the elections, according to the statement.
"Information gathered during elections must be retained for use in the audit and review of the election as well as for accountability purposes in order for there to be effective electoral accountability. Situation Room is requesting INEC to make sure that its records and data linked to the election are stored safely and securely to ensure their usage for the purposes of inspection and accountability in view of the disputes that have surfaced and the controversy surrounding the general elections of 2023.
"Reports suggesting that the BVAS might need to be modified or even deleted for the upcoming State Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections due on Saturday, March 11 2023 is a serious cause for concern, and we worry that this could further pose additional credibility questions over the integrity and conduct of the 2023 general elections."