The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System
(BVAS) failed to verify faces of some voters during Saturday’s off-cycle governorship election in Ekiti State.
PREMIUM TIMES observed the development in Ikere Ekiti in Okere Ekiti Local Government Area of Ekiti State.
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At the polling unit in Osagburu/Hall Oke oloti, Ward 3, Ikere Ekiti, four female voters could not exercise their rights to vote because the BVAS machine failed to verify their facial features for accreditation.
PREMIUM TIMES observed a long queue at the polling unit. As of 4:20 p.m., voters were still on queue waiting to cast their votes.
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Disenfranchisement
The BVAS device, which picks facial and fingerprint recognition, repeatedly rejected scans even after multiple attempts.
“I got here around 8 a.m. to exercise my right. They have checked my card but when it got to the face capturing, it didn’t not work,” a retired teacher Florence Onipede, told PREMIUM TIMES.
“They tried it about two times or more. I wasn’t happy at all. I stayed next to the Oluyedes (PDP governorship candidate) and have been here since morning.”
The 86-year-old retiree described the development as “surprising,” as she had previously voted successfully in the area.
“They said I should stand and take picture and they said it cannot be taken. This is my second time of voting here. What I experience today is a surprise. My name is on their list but they didn’t give me the ballot paper to vote,” Mrs Onipede said.
Similarly, another prospective voter in the unit Iyabo Olowofela’s face could not be captured by the BVAS device.
“I could not vote. They could not capture my face and I did not thumbprint. I have been here before 9 am. I’m not happy with this development,” Mrs Olowofela told PREMIUM TIMES.
The elderly woman noted that the electoral officers attempted four times but it still failed.
“They have tried it four times. This is the first time I would experience such,” Mrs Olowofela said.
Also, Funmilayo Idowu, 56, a resident who also came out to vote, said she had washed her face with water two times after the first failed attempt.
“They tried it three times,” Mrs Idowu said. “I will have to go home. I don’t know what to do now. This has made me sad.”
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The development forced the voters to leave the voting booth.
The supervising polling officer identified as Adamu at the unit told PREMIUM TIMES that Mrs Idowu’s face did not match the facial data on the BVAS.
“The face doesn’t match. She should go for revalidation,” the polling unit officer said.
