MALFUNCTIONING OF BVAS MARS GUBER ELECTION IN ANAMBRA NORTH SENATORIAL ZONE
REPORTER: CHUKWUDI CHUKWUENYEM
Malfunctioning of the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) characterised Saturday’s Governorship Election in Anambra State.
Most Polling units monitored in Anambra North Senatorial zone by correspondents Chukwudi Chukwuenyem, Oby Arinze, Chika Esonwune and Enuma Onyechi had issues with malfunctioning of the BVAS.
Accreditation and voting in most of the polling centres visited stretched beyond the stipulated time of 2:30pm.
This was because the exercise commenced late in the centres.
For instance in ward 5 unit 010 Emerah Upper Iweka, there was appreciable turnout of voters but only few of them were accredited by the BVAS.
The Presiding Officer, Mr. Uchenna Ogbodo, said the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System posed a problem and they had the challenge of moving their materials to the centre.
Similarly, at fagge ward 7 where 1,470 voters registered, only three persons were accredited as at 11:30am.
At Nkwelle ward 2 unit 003 in Oyi LGA, security men were civil in their conduct but BVAS was the problem.
A voter, Mr. Sunday Nwakpa, described the exercise as peaceful and calm but noted that the BVAS was very slow in authenticating the voters.
Another voter, Mr. Cosmas Moodu expressed sadness with the way the BVAS malfunctioned in the exercise.
They called on INEC to try to fix the problem to enable them to exercise their franchise in the election.
