The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to hold a mock accreditation exercise in Anambra State to test the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) ahead of the November governorship election.

In a statement issued on Saturday by Victoria Eta-Messi, Director of Voter Education and Publicity, the commission said the exercise will take place on Saturday, October 25, across selected polling units in the state’s three senatorial districts.

According to INEC, the mock exercise aims to evaluate BVAS response time and the efficiency of result uploads on the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

“The mock accreditation exercise will allow INEC to test the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), assess its response time, and test the uploading of results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal ahead of the main election,” the statement reads.

The selected polling units are located in Awka South, Idemili North, Oyi, Anambra East, Aguata, and Orumba North Local Government Areas.

INEC urged eligible voters in the affected areas to participate actively in the mock exercise, saying their involvement would help the commission fine-tune its technological and operational processes before the main poll.

Meanwhile, the commission announced that the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for newly registered voters in Anambra will begin on Wednesday, October 22, and end on Sunday, October 26.

INEC advised voters who took part in the recent Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to collect their PVCs in person at their registration areas, warning that “there will be no collection by proxy under any circumstances.”

The commission reaffirmed its commitment to transparency, operational efficiency, and public confidence as preparations for the 2025 Anambra governorship election intensify.