The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Ojo Amupitan, yesterday said the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has effectively solved the protracted challenge of identity theft in Nigeria’s elections.

This was contained in a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Dayo Oketola, yesterday in Abuja.

The statement quoted Amupitan as making the declaration while speaking at the 2025 Digital Nigeria International Conference and Exhibitions in Abuja, organised by the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA).

Amupitan, who was represented by INEC National Commissioner, Mrs May Agbamuche-Mbu, stated that the era of multiple voting and identity fraud was over. He said the BVAS signposts a milestone in the nation’s democratic history, having become a ‘foolproof mechanism’ for verification.

Amupitan said: “The BVAS device has become our frontline defence against identity fraud, ensuring that only the rightful, eligible voter can be accredited at the polling unit. “With the biometric safeguards now in place, voter impersonation has been effectively eliminated from our electoral system.”

Amupitan, who backed his assertion with BVAS data from the recently concluded Anambra Governorship election, noted that the 6,879 BVAS devices configured and deployed for the polls recorded a highly commendable performance.

The 2004 University of Iowa Fulbright visiting scholar added that over 99 per cent of polling unit results were uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal on election day. “These outcomes confirm that the deployment of BVAS and IReV is no longer experimental but an entrenched part of Nigeria’s electoral architecture.”