…Verify BVAS, Match EC8A, Enforce IReV Upload, Demand EC60E, and Follow Results to State Collation
By Comrade James Onifade
With just 4 days to the Osun State governorship election on Saturday, 15 August, the real battle will not only be at the ballot box. It will be at the polling units and all the way to the state collation centre, where vigilance will determine whether every genuine vote counts.
INEC’s technology and procedures are only as strong as the citizens who insist that they are followed.
1. Verify that BVAS Starts at Zero
Demand zero accreditation on the BVAS before voting begins.
On election day, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) at every polling unit must show zero records of accreditation at the start. No voter should be allowed to cast a ballot without proper BVAS accreditation. INEC’s rule is clear: no BVAS accreditation, no voting. Raise the alarm immediately if the machine already shows numbers before polls open.
2. Match the Electronic EC8A with the Paper EC8A
Insist that the electronic EC8A on the BVAS matches the paper EC8A.
Before the Presiding Officer transmits any result, the figures displayed on the BVAS electronic EC8A must be identical to those recorded on the physical Form EC8A. Any discrepancy is a red flag. Party agents and voters present must compare both versions and refuse to allow transmission until they agree.
3. Enforce Transmission to IReV
Compel the Presiding Officer to upload the result to IReV immediately.
Transmission is not optional. Voters at the polling unit must insist that the Presiding Officer uploads the result to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) while they are still present. A result that is not uploaded can be altered later.
4. Demand Public Display Using Form EC60E
Demand that the result is posted publicly on Form EC60E.
After collation at the polling unit, the Presiding Officer is required to paste the result on the wall using Form EC60E for everyone to see. This public display is a simple but powerful transparency measure. Do not leave the polling unit until this is done.
5. Follow the Result in Matching Order
Monitor your vote from the Polling Unit to the Ward, to the Local Government, and to the State Collation Centre.
Do not abandon your vote after casting it. Party agents and concerned voters must follow the results in matching order — from the polling unit to the ward, from the ward to the local government, and from the local government to the state collation centre where the final result will be announced. There must be correlation among the figures on Form EC8A, the figures on IReV, and Form EC60E pasted at the polling unit. This prevents diversion between the polling unit and final collation.
These five actions form a practical shield against the most common forms of result manipulation.
Our duty is clear: protect the process, protect the vote. When we defend every ballot and follow the results to the end, we secure a peaceful return for Governor Ademola Adeleke. This continuity will protect the progress of the last three and a half years and guarantee a better future for our children and generations yet unborn.
Signed:
Comrade James Onifade
Advocate for Good Governance and Judicial Reform
