The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Edo office, on Saturday said the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed for the mock accreditation exercise was functioning perfectly well in the state.

The Edo Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Obo Efanga, made this known while monitoring the exercise in the designated polling units in the state.

The mock accreditation took place in six local government areas and 12 polling units across the state.

“We have been using BVAS in the last two years in other states. The mock accreditation is to let people know how BVAS works and for people to see how it works.

” In Edo, we have not used BVAS before and this is an opportunity for people to see how it actually works and we hope that it will boost confidence in the system.

“It is also an opportunity for people to identify their new polling units so that when they come on election day, they know where to go,” he stated.

He said some voters were moved from their original polling units to those with fewer voters due to large numbers.

He said this would ensure an even spread of voters on election day and polls would be completed on time.

“The good thing is that we migrated people to new polling units within the same ward,” he said.

On the low turnout of voters for the mock exercise, Mr Efanga said “it is not compulsory that everybody must come out to do this.

” But the few that will come wẹ use them to test that the system is working well

“I cannot say I am satisfied for now, because it started at 8:30 a.m. and it will continue until 2:30 p.m.

” The most important thing is that the BVAS is working well, it’s accrediting each person within a few minutes in all the polling units we have visited.”

A correspondent who monitored the exercise in Benin, watched as the BVAS captured the fingerprints and faces of voters seamlessly.

All the voters who spoke to journalists at each of the polling units expressed happiness and confidence in the process.

(NAN)