The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC will Saturday test-run its biometric machines through mock accreditation in Abia.
Addressing select newsmen Friday evening, the Abia State Resident Electoral Commissioner, REC Prof. Ike Uzochukwu said the mock accreditation will hold in 6 LGAs of the three senatorial zones, and in two selected polling units in each of the wards of the LGA, totalling 12 polling units.
According to him, “the exercise is basically to stimulate voter accreditation and note any challenges for better conduct” of the 2023 elections.
The BVAS he disclosed uses facial biometrics and finger prints and encouraged Abians to turn out en mass for the exercise.
He further disclosed that the commission extended the collection of PVCs to 5th of February for the elections that will hold on the 25th of February and 11th of March, 2023, adding “all we need for the exercise are already in place”.
He disclosed that the Commission has undertaken training of security personnel and adhoc staff in the state and as well engaging key stakeholders in the forthcoming election.
The Abua INEC REC expressed his excitement that the state is relatively safe, assuring that the elections are going to be free and fair.
Fielding questions from newsmen, Prof. Uzochukwu disclosed that about 2.120 million Abians registered, lamenting that more than 200 thousand PVCs are lying uncollected.
According to the INEC State Training Officer, Eke Okwun, about 100 security personnel from all arms of uniformed people were currently undergoing first phase of training “to enable them be acquainted with the electoral process and on what to do at each polling unit.
