INEC Conducts Mock Accreditation, Affirms Readiness For Ondo Gov Election

By Nathaniel Gana

Wednesday 6th November 2024

As preparations for the Ondo State governorship election scheduled for 16th November approach the final stretch, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has expressed confidence in the Commission’s readiness, following a comprehensive assessment and mock accreditation exercise.

In a chat with the press after observing the mock accreditation exercise in two local government areas – Akure South and Idanre, and making impromptu visits to Ondo East and Ile-Oluji/Oke-Igbo local government offices on Wednesday 6^th November 2024 in continuation of his readiness assessment visit, Prof. Yakubu affirmed that INEC’s systems were performing optimally and ready for the election.

He described the mock accreditation exercise as a vital part of the Commission’s preparations that allows it to test the performance of its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal .

He said: “As you have seen in the last couple of elections, the machines are performing optimally, but we can’t take that for granted. That’s why we decided to do a mock, to further test the functionality of the machines.”

He noted that there had been no failures during accreditation, as many voters were successfully accredited through facial recognition, showcasing the robustness of the Commission’s technology.

He also assured voters of a smooth process on Election Day, with polling units poised to open on time.  He appealed to political parties and candidates to maintain peaceful conduct throughout the election period, underscoring the importance of having a peaceful environment for the timely deployment of materials and personnel.

“We are doing our best as the electoral commission and others should also do their best, particularly the political parties and the candidates,” Prof. Yakubu remarked, adding that maintaining a peaceful atmosphere will also enable the prompt announcement of results, reflecting the choice of the people of Ondo State.