Contrary to doubt expressed by the national chairman of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) Abdullahi Adamu on the use of BVAS by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the party has distanced itself from the position.
The party said Adamu did not kick against the deployment of BVAS or electronic transmission of results as reported by sections of the media.
The APC national chairman had Wednesday expressed doubt over the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the 2023 election by INEC.
Adamu also said the promise of transmission of election results in real time by the electoral empire may not be possible especially in remote villages, where they have network challenges.
But addressing a press conference Thursday at the national secretariat, the APC national publicity secretary, Barrister Felix Morka, said President Muhammadu Buhari administration midwifed the successful reform of the Electoral Act, the introduction of (BVAS) among other technological innovation.
Morka said: “A section of the media is awash with comments credited to the National Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Senator Abdullahi Adamu on the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the Results Viewing Portal (IReV), otherwise known as electronic transmission of election results, for the 2023 general elections.
Media reports that Chairman Adamu kicked against INEC’s decision to deploy BVAS and electronic transmission of results is patently false, and constitutes an unfair misrepresentation of the National Chairman’s comments.
“At a meeting with the Commonwealth pre-election delegation, yesterday, Wednesday, November 23, 2022, in response to a question regarding the country’s preparations for next year’s election, the National Chairman noted that while preparations were in top gear, he tasked INEC to take effective steps to bridge any gaps that may be created by electricity and telecommunications network challenges in certain outlying voting districts in the country in order to ensure a smooth and successful deployment of BVAS and other technologies to ensure free and transparent elections.
“To be clear, Chairman Adamu did not kick against the deployment of BVAS or electronic transmission of results as erroneously reported by sections of the media.
“The APC administration of President Muhammadu Buhari midwifed the successful reform of the Electoral Act, the introduction of (BVAS) among other technological innovation, and has superintended the conduct of credible, free, fair and transparent elections in Edo, Anambra, Ekiti and Osun States.
“Our party and government remain committed to the highest levels of electoral transparency and democratic consolidation in our country.”
In another development, Director North-central, National Youths Mobilisation for Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council (PCC), Hon Mike Msuaan, said the ruling party not afraid of new innovation by the INEC.
He also said the party’s presidential candidate Bola Tinubu will emerge victorious in 2023 against the plot by the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the Labour Party (LP).
“Why should the APC be afraid of BIVAS and electronic transmission of results when the youths are strongly behind us. Why should we be afraid? I told you that if election is conducted tomorrow we are going to win.
“They (opposition party) are the ones running after us. We have already given them more than 30 percent gap ahead. And by tomorrow if elections are conducted we would give them more than 50 percent. We are very comfortable with the arrangement made by INEC. We are going to win with that because that has taken care of the manipulation of those who want to do yahoo yahoo on election day. Asiwaju is the next president of this country by the grace of God.”
Speaking on how much mobilisation has done in the North-central, the Director said: “So far so good if election is to be conducted by tomorrow we are sure of delivering 70 percent votes to our candidate.”
On whether the opposition parties pose threat to the victory of the APC, Msuaan said: We didn’t see Asiwaju contesting with Atiku and Peter Obi. We know what Atiku did to this country. He threw the youths of North-central and this country to the street. Is that the person that should rule us? Or are we talking of Peter Obi who have zero record in Anambra state?
“We are equal to the task. We have somebody who is competent whose antecedents have been speaking for him and would speak for him. This is somebody whose economic plan in Lagos is still being copied in other states. The two of them are nowhere comparable to Tinubu.”
