ibrahim He said the credibility of the 2023 general election remains one of the commission’s top priorities, hence the introduction of improved technology in recent elections to improve electoral processes.

According to him, with the BVAS only the voters will determine who wins the elections in the country.

“I assure the good people of Gombe State that the days of identity theft during elections are over and only the voters can determine the winner of the elections in this country.

“There is no question that the deployment of technology has vastly improved the conduct of elections in this country over the years.

“During the 2023 general elections, the commission will be deploying the BVAS for the accreditation of voters and transmission of results,Ibrahim said.

The REC said that Gombe State had received the full complement of BVAS required for the conduct of the 2023 general election in the state.

Ibrahim assured Gombe State residents that the commission was ready to hold credible elections in the state, adding that 10 of the 14 activities described had been carried out.

He called on all stakeholders to play their roles to ensure the smooth conduct of the 2023 elections.

“The conduct of credible elections is not the exclusive responsibility of the INEC; Free, fair, credible, peaceful, inclusive and accountable elections are the result of the concerted efforts of all stakeholders.

“I urge you to join us in discouraging the sale/purchase of PVC and the sale/buying of votes in the strongest terms, as it goes against democratic principles and norms.” he said.

Talking more about BVAS, Mr. Bitson SimonHead of the Department of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and Registrar of Voters at the Gombe state office, INEC, said the BVAS device had been described as a “game changer” in recent elections.

Simon said the device was introduced by INEC as a solution to the shortcomings of card readers, which were used in valuable elections.

He said that with BVAS, the frauds that were perpetuated on Election Day in previous elections would no longer be possible, adding: “the election by proxy will not be possible with BVAS”.

According to him, BVAS will be used to accredit voters, transmit accredited data to the INEC server and transmit the election results to the INEC review portal.

Simon said the BVAS machine would improve the transparency of the 2023 election.