The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has declared that the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has effectively ended the long standing challenge of identity theft in Nigeria’s elections.
Prof. Amupitan made this known in a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Dayo Oketola, during his address at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions held on Tuesday, November 11, 2025, in Abuja. The event was organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).
Represented by Mrs. May Agbamuche-Mbu, a National Commissioner, the INEC Chairman stated that the era of multiple voting and identity fraud is over. He noted that BVAS marks a historic milestone in the nation’s democratic journey, having become a “foolproof mechanism” for voter verification.
“The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit,” he said. “With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system.”
Addressing an audience of tech innovators, policymakers, and civil society leaders, Prof. Amupitan backed his claims with data from the recently concluded Anambra Governorship Election.
According to him, the 6,879 BVAS devices configured and deployed for the election recorded highly commendable performance, with over 99 percent of polling unit results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on Election Day.
“These outcomes confirm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture. The figure announced at the polling units is the same figure visible to the public. Technology has safeguarded the vote,” the 2004 University of Iowa Fulbright visiting scholar stated.
He reminded stakeholders that earlier technologies, though innovative, lacked legal backing—leaving the Commission vulnerable at election tribunals. That changed with the Electoral Act 2022, particularly Section 47(2), which elevated digital devices from administrative tools to “statutorily protected pillars” of the electoral system.
“This legislative foundation ensures that our digital tools have both operational and legal legitimacy. It has strengthened public trust and enabled the Commission to innovate with confidence,” Amupitan explained.
However, the INEC Chairman admitted that despite the successes of BVAS in curbing impersonation and multiple voting, connectivity remains a major challenge. With 176,846 polling units located in swamps, mountains, and remote communities, achieving real-time uploads to IReV is still difficult.
“A tool like the BVAS is only as good as the network it runs on,” he noted, adding that the Commission continues to engage the NCC and telecom operators while exploring alternative technologies to bridge these gaps.
Despite these challenges, Prof. Amupitan sent a strong message to the political class: there will be no reversal of technological advancements in Nigeria’s election management. He dismissed any suggestion of returning to manual accreditation, describing it as “vulnerable to human interference.”
“The gains we have recorded are too significant to reverse,” he insisted, outlining a future in which INEC will not only maintain but upgrade its technological infrastructure.
As the conference concluded, the INEC Chairman reaffirmed that the era of “ghost voters” in Nigerian elections is over, and the Commission remains committed to transparency.
“Our mission is simple: to ensure that every eligible voter is accurately verified, every vote properly counted, and every result transparently shared. Technology has helped us secure these foundations of democracy,” Prof. Amupitan said.