BVAS: Appeal Court to rule on INEC’s application Wednesday

The Court of Appeal, Abuja, will on Wednesday deliver a ruling in an application filed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) seeking leave to configure the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for the governorship election.

INEC had in its motion dated March 4 asked the appellate court to vary the ex parte order made in favour of the Labour Party and the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) on the inspection of materials used for last month’s presidential election.

The court on March 3 granted leave to the PDP presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and his Labour Party counterpart, Peter Obi, to inspect election materials used by INEC for the election.

The INEC Counsel, Tanimu Inuwa (SAN), had in a notice said the application became necessary following an order restraining the commission from tampering with the information embedded in the BVAS machines until the inspection was conducted and certified by all parties.

Read also:INEC boss, Yakubu meets with RECs ahead of guber polls, assures improved BVAS

He added that INEC would require sufficient time to reconfigure the BVAS for the Saturday elections.

He told the court that INEC would upload the results from the backend.

In his argument, counsel for Obi, Dr. Onyechi Ikpeazu (SAN), urged the court to reject the INEC’s application.

He said: “All we are seeking is for a physical inspection of the BVAS so that the evidence is obtained before it will be configured.”

The three-member panel of the appellate court after listening to their submissions adjourned till Wednesday for ruling on the matter.

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now