A video has been going viral in Kwara state that some BVAS machines in Alanamu, Ilorin West Local Government Area have no SIM card.
The video caption reads: “SITUATION REPORT: APC plot to rig busted. Any BVAS without a SIM card must not be allowed to be used, because such BVAS won’t be able to transmit result in real-time.”
Similarly, Just Event Online, an online media organisation reported that “voting has been put on hold at 002 Alanamu ward, Ilorin West LG, electorates are complaining that BVAS bought by INEC doesn’t have sim card…”
This information has been going viral on WhatsApp groups in Kwara state.
Claim: Can the BVAS machine work and transmit results without SIM cards?
Verification
The CDD Election War Room reached out to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Public Affairs Officer in the state. He said some BVAS machines deployed in Kwara do not have SIM cards.
We confirmed that BVAS with or without SIM cards will work for voters’ accreditation and all other electioneering processes.
Asides from using SIM cards, the BVAS machine can work manually and when it is connected to a hotspot, it retains the manual information and transmits it to the server.
You can view other details about the BVAS machine here.
Verdict
The claim that BVAS machines without SIM cards would not be able to transmit results is false.