Category: Nigeria Decides 2023

Former House of Representatives Speaker Yakubu Dogara could not not be accredited in his unit.

The Bio-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine failed to accredit him and some other voters.

The former Speaker, who arrived at his polling unit in Gwaranga School in Bogoro Local Government Area, claimed that INEC officials kept them waiting since 10am.

He said the BVAS machine could not serve about 1,938 registered voters in the Bogoro C ward due to poor network.

He said when it was his turn to get accredited, he was told the only BVAS that was functioning could not capture his Permanent Voter Card.

Dogara said: “As we say in law, the matter speaks for itself. All of you who are here must have seen the situation.

“This polling unit holds 1,938 registered voters here but 20 per cent have not been able to cast their votes since morning.

“If you ask me why, I don’t understand myself.

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“When I came here, I was told the only BVAS that was functional couldn’t capture my card.

“I sought to know why, and they said my card is on another BVAS, so I went to the INEC office in Bogoro LGA to find out what was happening and the Electoral Officer told me that there was a problem with the BVAS.

“INEC said they have taken the BVAS to Tafawa Balewa which is about 12 kilometers from here to fix the network but I was wondering if it’s a network issue per se because we have two functional networks, you can see it here.

“I have Wifi on GLO and MTN. I can even sacrifice it for them to use.

“I don’t want to speculate, I don’t want to say that it’s deliberate, maybe they want to disenfranchise some voters in the polling unit but it appears that is their intention.

“I think they said BVAS can even work in unconventional locations where you don’t even have a single network, and if there is any problem, you can even use with hotspot.

“The only comforting news from the E.O. is that whosoever is in the queue will vote even if it’s 8 pm.

“But the point is why keep people for more than five hours in the scorching sun?

“You can see the price we are paying for democracy but we are good citizens, we know our civic responsibilities.

“Despite this, it appears people still desire to express their civic responsibility which has been frustrated by INEC.”

Former head of state and Chairman of National Peace Committee, General Abdulsalami Abubakar, has urged Nigerians to maintain peace after polls.

He said that he was glad to perform his civic duty.

Speaking with reporters after casting his vote at the Hilltop Polling Unit in Minna, Abdulsalam appreciated Nigerians for maintaining peace during the elections.

He said: “I have been able perform my civic responsibility.

Read Also ; Abdulsalami: Political actors haven’t learnt any lessons

“I am happy we have peace in the country during the election.

“Everything is going on smoothly and peacefully.

“We thank God for how things are going on in Nigeria and Niger State.”

Hundreds of voters defied heavy rainfall to vote in the ongoing presidential and National Assembly NASS elections at Alegbor Primary School Ward 1, Unit 5 and 6, in Uvwie council area of Delta state.

A voter, Chief Emmanuel Erute, told The Nation that materials arrived at the centre at 10:59 a.m.

Stating that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), had no hitches, he however noted that the Labour Party is not on the senatorial ballot paper.

Another voter, Christian Ohwofasa, who said he had been at the polling unit since 7:30a.m lamented the late arrival of the INEC officials and materials.

A mild drama ensued at the polling centre when officials announced that they were out of thumb printing ink to continue the process at unit 6.

Read Also ; NLC urges INEC to ensure elections reflect voters’ wishes

Some women who were in the queue protested the development, accusing the officials of trying to frustrate their efforts to exercise their franchise.

Efforts to speak with the officials about the development were futile.

But this reporter observed political party agents trying to make arrangements for more thumb-printing ink to be delivered.

There was massive turn out of voters in Sokoto Town for the Presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday.

Several polling units witnessed large crowds of citizens out to perform their civic duties.

It was also observed that the polls were largely peaceful so far.

Voting commenced between 8:30am and 9:30am in the Polling Units visited.

At the time of filing this report, the only unit that had a hitch was 023, Offa Road, due to a faulty Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine.

Read Also ; Sokoto PDP Gov candidate votes, commends exercise

The Presiding Officer, Grace Francis, said efforts were on to address the situation.

It was also observed that a convoy of Army trucks with well armed soldiers were patroling the city.