Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Tuesday revealed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and backend report of over 11,000 pages were being finalized for litigants to prosecute their case at the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.
The commission disclosed this in Abuja when the legal team of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) was at the headquarters of the commission to inspect document and electoral materials used during the February 25 presidential election.
Speaking on behalf of the commission, Tanimu Inuwa said the commission currently has forms EC8D – summary of results of each state and FCT, and form EC8D – national summary and form EC8A.
He said: “The BVAS and backend report of over 11,000 pages is being finalized. The result sheets and ballot papers are in the various states not at the Headquarters.”
Inuwa suggested that a timeline for visitation for all parties should be made for ease and the persons appointed to inspect should be limited.
He also assured that the Certified True Copies (CTCs) and photocopies of the document would be made available.
Speaking, counsel to the presidential candidate of the PDP, Joe-Kyari Gadzama said commencing inspection Tuesday was a matter of urgency given the timeline.
He stated that a letter to INEC had been written and served stating the documents needed, adding that the party would be available on a daily basis to conduct the inspection.
Gadzama added: “Representatives of PDP in various states have gone to the INEC offices for inspection but they were denied access due to the fact that the headquarters had not given the go ahead.”
He stated that the PDP in addition to the documents already requested would need the report of the offline and online logs and server from 25th Feb and 1st March 2023 and the phone numbers used on each BVAS.
On his part, Babatunde Ogala, SAN, who represented the All Progressives Congress (APC), said all parties should henceforth inspect the documents together in the spirit of transparency, stressing that a joint committee of all parties should be made to come up with a schedule for the inspection.
