he Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a mock accreditation exercise in Anambra State to test the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the November governorship election.

According to a statement issued at the weekend by Victoria EtaMessi, Director of Voter Education and Publicity, the exercise will take place on Saturday, October 25, at selected polling units across the state’s three senatorial districts.

INEC explained that the mock exercise aims to evaluate the BVAS’ response time and the efficiency of result uploads on the INEC Result View ing (IReV) portal.

“The mock accreditation exercise will allow INEC to test the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), assess its response time, and test the uploading of results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal ahead of the main election,” the statement said.

The polling units chosen for the exercise are situated in Awka South, Idemili North, Oyi, Anambra East, Aguata, and Orumba North local government areas. INEC has called on voters in these areas to actively participate, highlighting that their involvement is crucial for fine-tuning the commission’s operational and technological systems ahead of the election.

In addition, the Commission announced that the distribution of permanent voter cards (PVCs) for newly registered voters in Anambra State will begin on Wednesday, October 22, and run through Sunday, October 26.

Voters who registered during the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise are instructed to collect their PVCs from the specific registration locations where they initially enrolled. INEC emphasised that PVC collection is strictly personal and warned that proxy collection will not be permitted under any circumstances.

“All registered voters are strongly encouraged to collect their PVCs within the designated timeframe to ensure eligibility to vote in the upcoming Anambra governorship election,” the statement added.

The Commission reiterated its dedication to transparency, operational efficiency, and maintaining stakeholder confidence as preparations for the 2025 Anambra governorship election advance.