THE Ondo State governorship election, held today, Saturday, November 16, has been marred by widespread reports of biometric voter accreditation system (BVAS) malfunctions and vote-buying in various polling units across the state.
Voters in several areas, including Okitipupa, and Ondo South, expressed frustration over delays caused by faulty BVAS. In some polling units, the devices failed to accredit voters promptly, leading to long queues and complaints about disenfranchisement.
At Obe Nla in Ward 4, Ilaje LGA, Ondo South, The ICIR observed how BVAS malfunctions dampened the voting process.
A community leader, who simply gave his name as Chief Afoworamo, commended the peaceful conduct of the election but expressed disappointment over the inability of some voters to complete accreditation. “Some individuals found their names on the INEC register but couldn’t be captured by the BVAS machine,” he lamented.
In Ondo West Local Government Area (LGA), voter inducement was captured in a video by The ICIR, showing individuals distributing money to voters at 18, Omolare Street, near Polling Units 06 and 05 in Ward 7.
The ICIR gathered that voters were offered ₦5,000, though the political party involved could not be verified.
Election observers and journalists, who spoke on Arise Television’s Election Update raised alarms about how the combination of vote-buying and technical BVAS malfunctions undermined the election credibility.
The television also reported several other instances of BVAS failure, with some residents stating that the failure frustrated the election process.
Similarly, an elderly woman in Igbotako, Okitipupa LGA, while speaking with TVC News openly admitted that she collected money for the vote she cast.
Recall that the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Ondo State, Agboola Ajayi, expressed dissatisfaction with the process.
Ajayi, who voted at Apoi Ward 11, Unit 004, in his hometown in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of the state, was reported to have faced BVAS glitches for several minutes before he could cast his vote.
He slammed the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for ‘failing’ to properly organise the election.
He cited widespread complaints about the late arrival of election materials and malfunctioning BVAS.
The ICIR reports that INEC deployed 4,002 BVAS machines for the election.
Usman Mustapha is a solution journalist with International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: umustapha@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M