Appeals court grants INEC’s plea to modify the BVAS

On Wednesday, the Court of Appeal in Abuja denied Mr. Peter Gregory Obi’s request to halt the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, from changing the configuration of the BVAS technology used to conduct the February 25 Presidential election. Mr. Obi was the presidential candidate for the Labour Party.

According to the Court, accepting the plea would put the electoral body’s ability to conduct the elections for the State Houses of Assembly and governor on March 11 in jeopardy.

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The Court agreed with INEC that the accreditation-related information in the BVAS devices had been uploaded to its backup system and was accessible at any time.

The Appellate Court based its agreement with INEC on the fact that none of the allegations in the electoral body’s rebuttal affidavit were refuted.

According to the court, allowing Obi and the Labour Party’s plea would constrain INEC’s ability to oversee the Saturday gubernatorial election.

The Court further ruled that Obi did not challenge INEC’s assertions that data on BVAS devices cannot be altered while being uploaded, and as a result, the assertions were accepted as true.