The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) held a meeting on Monday, 25th September 2023, to discuss various aspects of the upcoming off-cycle Governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi States, scheduled for Saturday, 11th November 2023. Among the matters reviewed were the preparations for the crucial event.
As part of the pre-election preparations, INEC announced a mock accreditation exercise using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and upload of polling units results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). This trial run will take place concurrently in the three States on Saturday, 14th October 2023, from 8.30am to 2.30pm.
A total of nine Senatorial Districts and 27 polling units have been selected, with a maximum of three polling units identified in each Senatorial District across the three States. Lessons learned from this mock accreditation exercise will be pivotal in enhancing the overall efficiency and effectiveness of the electoral process on the actual Election Day.
The detailed information regarding the polling units, including their locations by Local Government Area (LGA), Registration Area (RA)/Ward, Delimitation Code, and the number of registered voters, has been made available on INEC’s official website and social media platforms.
The Commission urged registered voters in the designated polling units to participate in the mock exercise and bring their Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs), pointing out however that “It’s crucial to emphasize that the mock accreditation exercise is purely a test and not the actual election.”
Sam Olumekun mni, National Commissioner & Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, affirmed the importance of this preparatory exercise, expressing confidence that it will contribute to a smooth electoral process during the Governorship elections.