The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC has denied allegations of Biometric Voter Authentication System, BVAS, interference, firmly discrediting the claims made by ID Ijele, who serves as the Director of New Media for the Social Democratic Party’s Governorship campaign team in Kogi State.”
In a statement issued on Saturday which was made available to CAPITAL POST in Abuja, the Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman of INEC, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, who stated that the response came in the wake of a statement alleging that three INEC staff members were purportedly involved in the wrongful reconfiguration of BVAS machines at the Government House in Lokoja.
He noted that this purported interference was alleged to be an attempt to manipulate the forthcoming Governorship election.
INEC revealed that the individuals named in the allegations were not associated with the BVAS machine configuration in Kogi State, nor were they present in the state.
Mr. Nicholas Ocholi was confirmed to be on duty in INEC’s Ondo State office in Akure, while Ibrahim Egbunu was attending to a family member hospitalized in Abuja. Mohammed Adara, who had retired last year, was no longer a staff of the Commission.
The configuration of BVAS machines is exclusively managed by professional teams deployed from the national headquarters in Abuja, with operations in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States.
The statement reads in full: “The attention of the Commission has been drawn to a statement signed by ID Ijele, Director of New Media of the SDP Governorship campaign team in Kogi State. The statement alleged that three staff of INEC are right now maliciously reconfiguring the BVAS machines in the Government House, Lokoja, with the intention of manipulating the forthcoming Governorship election in a part of the State in favour of a candidate.
“The story is untrue. The three persons mentioned are not associated with the configuration of the BVAS machines and not even in Kogi State at the moment. Mr. Nicholas Ocholi is on his duty post in our Ondo State office in Akure. Ibrahim Egbunu is attending to a very close family member hospitalised in Abuja. Mohammed Adara retired last year and is no longer a staff of the Commission.
“The configuration of BVAS is done simultaneously and exclusively in our offices in Bayelsa, Imo and Kogi States professionally and strictly handled by teams deployed from the national HQ, Abuja.
“The public is advised to disregard the story as fake news. At the same time, the Commission appeals to political parties to desist from engaging in malicious rumour mongering of this nature.”
