#OndoDecides2024: BVAS unable to capture some elderly voters – Official

Angela Oshogwe, an election official at the ongoing governorship election in Ondo State, has said that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine could not capture the faces of some elderly voters.

Ms Oshogwe, manning Poling Unit 19, Ward 11, Olamojuba, in Ondo West Local Government Area of the state, said that she had lodged the complaints to her superiors, who told her that the complaint was not limited to her polling unit

The election official said that the elderly had been waiting for long to vote without success.

She, however, said that the BVAS may become functional before the close of voting.

Reacting to the complaint, Rotimi Oyekanmi, the spokesperson to the INEC Chairman, told the News Agency of Nigeria that the commission was aware of the development in “very limited” polling units.

“We are aware that in very limited cases, a few elderly voters couldn’t be accredited by the BVAS at the first attempt. But, in subsequent attempts, the problem was resolved.

“A Presiding Officer in one polling unit (PU) out of 3,933 PUs in Ondo State is not in the position to say how widespread a technical problem is.

“From the reports at our disposal, so far, the BVAS is performing satisfactorily. It is not unusual for technical issues to occur in a major off-season election like the one we are conducting today.

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“We anticipated it and made adequate arrangements to respond to any type of challenge,” Mr Oyekanmi said

A septuagenarian, Agnes Olapade, who was affected by the technical problem, said that she was disappointed that she could not vote due to malfunction of the BVAS.

Mrs Olapade said she had been at the polling unit, with other affected elderly voters, since 8:00 a.m. without being able to vote.

According to her, she voted in the previous elections without any difficulty.

Similarly, Rukayat Olawoye, 87, said that she came out to vote, but was disappointed at the difficulty caused by the BVAS.

Another septuagenarian, Ronke Fayankimi, stated that she and other affected voters would continue to wait, to see if the BVAS would capture their faces.