Jonathan: Automating BVAS, IREV Would Prevent Election Glitches

Former President Goodluck Jonathan has called for full automation of BVAS and IREV, stating that it would eliminate election irregularities. Read more on his stance.

Former President Goodluck Jonathan mentioned that automating the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and its Results Viewing Portal (IREV) by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) would enhance trust in the electoral process.

On Tuesday, Jonathan delivered this statement in Abuja during the YIAGA Africa reflection conference focused on democratic elections in West Africa.

The former president stated that the controversy arising from the IREV malfunction during the 2023 presidential election could have been avoided if technology had been better automated to minimize human involvement.

The controversy surrounding BVAS and IREV is centered on the expectation that data captured by BVAS should be automatically uploaded to the IREV.

The system shouldn’t rely on human intervention to notify us about glitches. If it’s fully automated and does not require humans to intervene, it will operate seamlessly.

“If I am tasked with directing the BVAS before it is meant to perform its automated work, then I can act in a way that aligns with my interests,” Jonathan said.

The former Nigerian leader stated that while the use of technology alone hasn’t resolved most issues in Nigeria’s electoral process, it remains essential and must be improved upon rather than discarded.

According to the DAILY POST, the electoral authority has introduced BVAS and IREV as new technologies for voter accreditation and electronic vote transmission during elections.