Yiaga Africa calls on INEC to improve logistics, transparency in Anambra poll

Yiaga Africa, a civic group, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen its logistics coordination and guarantee the real-time upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal during Saturday’s Anambra governorship election.

In its pre-election statement released on Thursday, the civic organisation said the credibility of the poll would depend on INEC’s efficiency and transparency in handling accreditation, voting, and result transmission.

Yiaga Africa noted that the election would test the efficiency, integrity, and impartiality of Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly as voter confidence remains low in the state.

The organisation stressed that the lawful use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) must be consistent across all polling units, as required by the Electoral Act 2022. It cautioned that any attempt to bypass the technology—as reportedly witnessed in some past bye-elections—could undermine the credibility of the exercise.

“Under the Electoral Act 2022, the use of BVAS for accreditation is compulsory and non-negotiable. To uphold the integrity of the election, INEC must ensure complete compliance and uniformity in the application of the legal mandate,” the statement reads.

Yiaga Africa also urged INEC to ensure the timely deployment of election materials and personnel to polling units to prevent late commencement, which has historically affected elections in Anambra.

“INEC has a huge responsibility of enhancing coordination and communication with transport companies and unions to ensure the timely delivery of materials and early deployment of personnel to polling units,” the organisation said.

It further called on the commission to “guarantee full compliance with timely upload of polling unit results (Form EC8A) to the IReV portal,” adding that transparency in the results collation process is key to public trust.

The organisation raised security concerns in several local government areas, including Ihiala, Orumba North, Orumba South, Ogbaru, Nnewi South, and Aguata, describing them as “potential hotspots” that require strategic security deployment.

Yiaga Africa also warned that voter turnout could fall below 20 percent due to widespread political apathy and distrust in the electoral process.