Okitipupa: Ahead of the Nov. 16 governorship election in Ondo State, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Wednesday conducted mock accreditation of registered voters in Okitipupa Local Government Area of the state. The exercise was aimed at testing the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the real-time result upload to the INEC Result Viewing portal (IREV).
According to Voice of Nigeria, a visit to Unit 25, Ward 13, Oladipupo Lebi Street in the Okitipupa Council area, one of the centers for the mock accreditation exercise, revealed that the process was smooth and devoid of issues. Despite a noticeable low turnout of voters, the accreditation process was efficient, with the BVAS machines functioning effectively. INEC staff were prompt in attending to voters and security personnel were present at the centers.
An INEC official, Mr. Adedayo Fakorede, described the exercise as smooth and without difficulties, attributing the low voter turnout to it being a working da
y. He expressed optimism that more voters would participate as the day progressed. Fakorede noted that the voters were cooperative and the BVAS machines worked seamlessly.
Political party chieftains present at the mock accreditation also deemed the exercise successful and urged INEC to ensure the Nov. 16 election is conducted without issues. Femi Akinleye, a chieftain of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), praised the smooth execution of the mock exercise. Similarly, Titus Akinsulu from the All Progressives Congress (APC) commended INEC’s performance, expressing hope that the efficiency observed will be replicated on election day.