Former presidential aide and ex-lawmaker, Senator Babafemi Ojudu, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to urgently address technical issues affecting the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in parts of Ekiti State.
He warned that prolonged delays in the accreditation process could discourage voter participation in the ongoing governorship election.
Ojudu spoke on Saturday after voting at his polling unit in Ereguru, Ward 8, Ado-Ekiti, where he expressed concern over the pace of accreditation despite what he described as an impressive turnout of voters.
The former senator said the accreditation process was slowed by difficulties with the BVAS machine, noting that it took nearly 30 minutes for election officials to capture his fingerprints and photograph before he was cleared to vote.
“The turnout is impressive and the people have come out en masse to exercise their civic responsibility. They are peaceful and orderly, as expected. However, the process is cumbersome,” Ojudu said.
According to him, the delays could become a major challenge if not addressed promptly, particularly in polling units with large numbers of registered voters.
“Before my fingerprints and photograph could be captured, it took almost 30 minutes. If it takes 30 minutes to accredit one voter, then one begins to wonder how many hours it will take for 500 people to vote,” he added.
Ojudu disclosed that despite the presence of many voters at the polling unit, only one person had successfully cast a ballot as of about 8:59 a.m., attributing the situation to the malfunctioning of the accreditation device.
“There is clearly a problem with the system. The BVAS is malfunctioning. We have been here since around 8 a.m., and as of now, I am the only person who has voted. This is not good enough,” he stated.
The former lawmaker urged INEC to deploy technical support teams to affected locations and ensure that voting is not disrupted by equipment failure.
“My appeal to INEC is to urgently ensure that things are working. If the machines are not functioning properly, they should find a way to address the problem immediately. We cannot allow voters to be stranded because of equipment failure,” he said.
Ojudu further warned that continued delays could lead to voter apathy, as many citizens may be unwilling to remain at polling centres for extended periods waiting to be accredited.
Despite the challenges, he commended voters for their orderly conduct and expressed hope that the electoral commission would resolve the technical issues quickly to ensure that eligible voters are able to participate in the election without hindrance.
