The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed allegations of smuggling Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in Edo State as unfounded and lacking merit.
This response follows a petition from the All Progressives Congress (APC) on October 10, which claimed that members of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) had illegally brought BVAS machines and voter registers into INEC’s office in Benin.
In a statement released on Friday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Edo State Anugbum Onuoha, confirmed that INEC had thoroughly investigated the allegations and found them baseless. He reassured the public that the integrity of the BVAS machines and voter registers had not been compromised or accessed unlawfully by any political party or external entity.
Emphasizing INEC’s commitment to free and fair elections, Onuoha stated, “As an institution tasked with ensuring credible elections, INEC will not tolerate any form of malpractice.” He also highlighted that the commission’s investigation was conducted with utmost professionalism and impartiality.
In light of a recent court order, Onuoha mentioned that INEC is prepared to facilitate the inspection of election materials, emphasizing the importance of transparency in handling BVAS machines.
He urged all political parties to cooperate during this inspection process and encouraged political actors to focus on strengthening democratic principles rather than undermining public confidence in the electoral system.
