Scores of demonstrators stormed the gates of the National Assembly in Abuja, demanding to know why the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmoud Yakubu, failed to implement the new voting technology, Bimodal Voters Accreditation System (BVAS), in certain centers during the recent governorship election in Kogi State.

The protesters argued that the electoral body’s failure to deploy the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV) for real-time monitoring of poll results contributed to the victory of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Usman Ododo.

The protest came shortly after the Court of Appeal in Abuja reserved judgment in the appeal filed by the Social Democratic Party (SDP) governorship candidate, Murtala Ajaka, against the May 27 ruling of the state election petition tribunal. The tribunal had affirmed the November 11, 2023, election victory of Ododo. Both the SDP and Ajaka challenged the APC candidate’s win after INEC declared him the winner.

Addressing journalists at the National Assembly entrance, the leader of the protesters, Isaiah Ijele, said, “Our protest is premised on the recent BVAS fraud in the Kogi State Governorship Election of November 11, 2023, where the BVAS technology was bypassed, leading to the emergence of an unpopular candidate, Governor Usman Ododo.”

He added that, “The 9th National Assembly wrote its name in gold when it amended the Electoral Law to produce the 2022 Electoral Act, with the hope that BVAS technology would curb overvoting and other electoral irregularities forever. Kogi people feel betrayed that despite assurances from INEC that BVAS machines would be used to curb overvoting, some officials compromised and sold Kogi State out. We appeal to the lawmakers to use their office to save democracy in Kogi State and Nigeria as a whole.”

The protesters demanded that BVAS be made mandatory for voter accreditation during elections and called for Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu to be summoned before the Senate to explain why he authorized his staff and legal team to defend the alleged malpractices.

They also insisted that INEC should only declare election results from the IREV after confirming the exact number of accredited voters on BVAS.