Explainer: What if BVAS fails in 2027 election?
Nigeria's electoral commission, INEC, has outlined contingency plans for the 2027 elections regarding the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). The plan includes deploying backup devices and technical support teams to ensure that technical glitches do not disrupt the voting process.
Why it matters
Public trust in election technology is vital for democratic stability in Nigeria, and these measures aim to prevent the administrative failures seen in previous cycles.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, public trust in election technology remains a major talking point. But building on lessons from past polls, the Professor Joash Amupitan-led Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has clarified the operational guidelines and legal frameworks governing technical glitches, specifically involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and the INEC Result Viewing Portal IReV.
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So, here is a breakdown of what INEC’s plan entails and what happens if BVAS experiences a technical failure during polling.
The failure of BVAS in specific polling units will not halt voting, collation, or announcement of results in unaffected areas.
Collation of results will continue unless the uncollected votes from the affected polling units are significant enough to alter the overall outcome.
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