Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), for the umpteenth, insists that no plot can hault the use of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BIVAS, while reported stories of plans by some to remove Prof Mahmood Yakubu as chairman of the commission by some media outlets (not Truthlive News) is fake news.
The latest insistence comes from Director, Voters Education and Publicity (VEP), INEC headquarters, Victor Aluko, while giving assurance that Prof Yakubu who would preside over the 2023 election, would also see to it that whoever emerges President during the election would duly be returned.
Aluko disclosed this while speaking at a 2-Day Capacity Building for Journalists and CSOs in the North-Central zone on Conflict-Sensitive Reporting for the 2023 General Elections and Countering Fake News in Abuja.
The program was jointly organised by the Center for Democracy and Development (CDD), the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
“I want to assure you that any news about INEC not deploying BVAS (for the 2023 general elections) is fake news; any news about threats of removing the INEC Chairman is fake news and any news about INEC not deploying election results electronically is fake news, please ignore all those things.
“We know that some people are afraid (of the use of BVAS). But trust us and we believe that 2023 will be a watershed in the history of elections in Nigeria.”
The VEP Director who pledged that INEC was fully prepared for next year’s election added that, the body was preparing for the election, having in mind that their would be a large turnout of voters during the 2023 elections.
“The Commission will be preparing for nothing less than 70 percent turn out and with what we are seeing now, we are preparing for nothing less than 70 percent turnout.
“And we believe that we must mobilise the people.
“Nigerians will come together and vote for whoever they want and I want to assure everyone on behalf of the Commission that the person Nigerians elect will be the one that INEC will declare as the winner.
Also speaking at the occasion, the Director, CDD, Mrs Idayat Hassan noted that the training was organized to avail participants knowledge on key issues and critical areas that would promote transparency during the elections.
Represented by Damian Ihekoronye, the Grant and Partnership Manager, Hassan noted the need to tackle the issue of fake news and also have a violence free 2023 elections by understanding conflict sensitive reporting.
She observed that Nigerians across the six geopolitical zones were witnessing one conflict or the other and with elections coming up, the risks were higher, hence the need to brainstorm and nip in the bud some of the issues involved.