THE IMPACT OF BVAS ON ELECTORAL FRAUD IN THE 2023 GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION IN BAUCHI METROPOLIS

The impact of BVAS on electoral fraud in the 2023 gubernatorial election in Bauchi metropolis. Although BVAS played a vital role in the 2023 presidential election unfortunately, there is concerned by observers and political parties that INEC has resorted to using incident forms to accredit card users in situations where biometric authentication has failed without being able to verify their true identities, this has given room for justification of rigging in some places which constituted a challenge to the credibility of the 2023 presidential election. The study identified the roles played by BVAS and its the challenges in conducting credible election as well as the ways that will improve the use of BVAS in ensuring credible elections in future. The study utilized primary data. In the study Cybernetic Model of Communications was adopted as the theoretical framework of analysis. Findings revealed that BVAS is reliable, it enhanced reliability by preventing multiple voting as only accredited and verified PVC holders vote and it enabled virtual transmission of polling unit results, thereby eliminating manipulation at the collection center. The study recommends that, there should be adequate security for the election officials and adhoc staffs, CSOs and observers should monitor the deployment and usage of BVAS during elections lastly, both INEC and Ad-hoc staff should undergo a practical training on the use of BVAS