Former presidential adviser and ex-senator, Babafemi Ojudu, on Saturday expressed concern over the slow pace of voter accreditation in the ongoing Ekiti governorship election, blaming the delays on technical glitches associated with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Ojudu spoke after casting his vote at his polling unit in Ereguru, Ward 8, Ado-Ekiti, where accreditation was briefly delayed after the BVAS machine failed to accredit two voters.
While commending the impressive turnout of voters, he warned that persistent technical issues could discourage participation if not promptly addressed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
“The turnout of voters is impressive, but the technical glitches associated with the BVAS machine can discourage participation if not urgently addressed by INEC,” he said.
The former National Assembly member praised voters for their orderly conduct, particularly elderly residents who arrived at polling units as early as 7 a.m. to exercise their civic rights.
Despite the enthusiasm of voters, Ojudu described the accreditation process as cumbersome, citing his personal experience at the polling unit.
“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.
“Before my fingerprints and photograph could be captured, it took some time. If it takes that long to accredit one voter, then one begins to wonder how many hours it will take for 500 people to vote,” he said.
Ojudu maintained that the challenges experienced at his polling unit pointed to a malfunction in the BVAS system.
“There is clearly a problem with the system. The BVAS is malfunctioning. I don’t know what is happening in other polling units, but I am reporting directly from my polling unit. We have been here since around 8 a.m.,” he added.
