The Federal Government has said that the implementation of the Bimodal Voters’ Accreditation System will be supported by President Muhammadu Buhari to ensure credible, fair, and transparent elections in 2023.
In his message of goodwill at the 2022 International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, with the topic “Media, Civil Society, and Violence-Free Election in Nigeria,” Femi Adesina, the Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President, revealed this.
Adesina was responding to the recent concern expressed by a number of civil society organizations and the spokesperson for the Coalition of United Political Parties, Ikenga Ugochinyere, regarding plans by some political figures to depose Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, through the National Assembly, deactivate BVAS so that it cannot be used in the election of 2023, and ultimately stop the electronic transmission of results.
The SA said, “How many times has the President spoken about the role of technology in getting him into office? He has spoken about it locally and internationally that three times he contested and three times he ended up in the Supreme Court because the government of the day wrote the results and they never voted.
“He (Buhari) said until technology came and there was a permanent voter card, it was difficult to write results. So, how can the same person now have issues with BVAS?”
However, Adesina urged the media to highlight Buhari’s pledge for a transparent, fair, and free election while ignoring those who want to sway voters in the general election of 2023.
Abubakar Malami (SAN), the Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, stated at the same occasion that the Buhari administration was determined to putting an end to undemocratic and uncultured actions in the nation.
Malami reiterated his appeal for individuals still engaged in electioneering to understand the importance of abiding by the Electoral Law’s rules when engaging in political activity.
The AGF said, “It is important to note that recent developments in Nigeria have proved that the Federal Government has laudable initiatives to end impunity for crimes against Nigerian citizens.
“The Committee to Protect Journalists’ report says Nigeria was the only country to get off the index of nations with impunity for crimes against journalists in 2020.”
The Attorney General and Commissioner of Justice, Lawan Abdullahi, who was a special guest of honor and the governor of Kano State, stated that “the peaceful outcome of the 2023 general election lies in the hands of the media.”
Mohammed Haruna, the Chairman of INEC and National Commissioner, who was also there, said, “We should remember that regardless of our profession, religion, or ethnicity, we are all the country’s stakeholders of peace and progress.”
