18th June, 2022
By Jethro Ibileke & Ayodele Efunla
Opeyemi Bamidele, the Senator representing Ekiti Central Senatorial District, has charged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), on improvement of the Bimodal Voter Authentication System in the next election.
This is even as the chieftain of the All Progressives Congress (APC), canvassed for the technological innovation to encompass all facets of electoral process, including accreditation, voting and electronic transfer of votes.
He stated this on Saturday in Iyin Ekiti, Irepodun/Ifelodun Local Government Area of the State, after voting at Ward B unit 003 in the town.
According to Bamidele, electronic transfer of votes would not only improve the poll credibility, but would stamp out the fear of people tampering with results at collation centres.
While hailing the security arrangements and the massive turnout of voters across the state, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, said the upsurge in number of voters is a mark of improvement in the conduct of elections in the country.
He said: “With BVAS, there is no fear of anybody tampering with the accreditation process and that is the beauty of democracy.
“So, the the next stage for INEC is having electronic transfer of votes. With this, nobody will have any fear of interception at the collation centres and that will add to the integrity of our election.
“From the reports I heard from the start of the voting. It has been a peaceful process. We owe it a duty to collectively protect the integrity of this process.
“All of us are bothered with the kind of tension in town before this election, but I am personally happy for the way it has turned out peacefully.”