INEC Chairman Condemns Attacks On BVAS

…FCT voters lament BIVAS’ malfunctioning

BY OUR CORRESPONDENTS – Hours into the Presidential and National Assembly elections, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakubu indicated that the Bimodal Voter Identification System (BVAS) machines have unfortunately become targets of attack by political thugs in some parts of the country.

Yakubu, who briefed journalists on complaints received so far nationwide, disclosed that some thugs reportedly attacked a polling unit in the Safana Local Government Area of Katsina State and another polling unit in the Oshimili Local Government Area of Delta State, carting away six and two BVAS machines respectively.

However, the INEC boss assured that the stolen machines have been replaced while the police have also recovered three out of the six machines stolen in Katsina state.

He assured no matter how long it takes, every Nigerian in the queue before the allotted time of 2.30 pm will be allowed to vote.

Prof Yakubu, while acknowledging that officials and materials arrived late at some of the polling units, disclosed that information from across the country indicate that the BVAS machines were functioning optimally.

FCT Voters Lament BIVAS’ Malfunctioning 

This is as some voters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) expressed frustration over the technical hitches by the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in some polling units across the nation’s capital.

At about 11:47 am, some voters were seen in a long queue waiting to be accredited at various polling units due to the BIVAS’ glitches.

Going around some of the polling units in Abaji Area Council of the FCT, such as Ayaura, the Ona’s Palace, and Maisaje polling units, the stranded voters were seen lamenting the delay in commencing voting in the affected polling units.

But explaining the challenge experienced in these locations, one of the presiding officers, Ade Muyiwa, told journalists covering the election that they arrived at the polling units around 8 am, only to discover that the BVAS were not functioning as expected.

Muyiwa said to remedy the situation, they “immediately forwarded the complaint to the INEC, but up till now, we are yet to get another BVAS to commence accreditation of voters.”

Another voter, Ademola Kabiru, who claimed to have joined the queue at about 9 am, said he was yet to be accredited more than an hour after arriving at the polling Unit.

Similarly, some voters at the Ayaura polling unit were seen taking refuge under a tree even as they complained of not being able to cast their votes due to technical hitches.

Responding to inquiries from reporters, one of the INEC officials at the Ayaura polling unit, Sayeed Umar, explained that a complaint had already been forwarded to the INEC office in the area and all they can do was to wait for expected intervention from the officer in charge.