A voter at the polling unit of Governor Ademola Adeleke of Osun state, in Ede, Alhaji Olaboye Mudashiru, has expressed frustration over delays in the accreditation process caused by the slow performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Reports indicated that large crowd of voters gathered at the polling unit on Saturday to participate in the ongoing governorship election.
However, several voters were reportedly experiencing delays while undergoing biometric accreditation.
The development triggered concerns among some voters, who questioned whether the difficulty was due to a technical malfunction or a problem with the electoral process.
Mudashiru, who reportedly resides in Ivory Coast but travelled to Ede specifically to cast his ballot, described the situation as disappointing and said it could undermine confidence in the election.
“I think it is deplorable to experience that the BVAS are very, very bad,” Mudashiru told newsmen.
“At the polling booth where the governor is voting, here we have a crowd like this, which is not common in Osun State. As you can observe, you can see for yourself.”
Mudashiru said he made the journey from Ivory Coast to his hometown because of his determination to exercise his franchise, adding that the poor performance of the accreditation devices was particularly troubling given the number of voters at the polling unit.
“I doubt the credibility of INEC. It is deplorable,” he said.
According to him, the polling unit is located within his family compound and has traditionally been his voting centre.
“This polling booth is always like this. From this compound, this is my home, this is my compound, and this is where I used to vote. I came here especially for this election from Ivory Coast,” he said.
Despite his concerns about the BVAS, Mudashiru said there was no intimidation or threat against voters at the polling unit.
“Is there anything of intimidation? There is nothing like intimidation,” he said.
He, however, called on INEC to ensure that its personnel were adequately trained and that all electoral equipment was properly tested before deployment to polling units.
“I think INEC has to be here and have well-trained personnel, and even check well the devices that they are using, the materials that they are using, which is very, very important for the BVAS to be like that in a polling booth where the crowd is like this,” Mudashiru said.
The complaints came as voters continued to wait for accreditation at the governor’s polling unit, with the slow processing threatening to prolong the voting exercise.
BVAS is a key component of Nigeria’s electoral system, allowing INEC to authenticate voters through biometric verification before they can cast their ballots.
The reported difficulties at Adeleke’s polling unit therefore raised questions among voters about the readiness of the electoral commission’s equipment and personnel to handle the turnout on election day.
Meanwhile, Governor Adeleke has urged voters across the state to protect their ballots and remain at their polling units to monitor the electoral process.
Adeleke made the call on Saturday shortly after casting his vote at Sagba Abogunde Ward 2, Unit 9, in Ede North Local Government Area.
The governor arrived at the polling unit at about 8:32 a.m. accompanied by a large number of supporters and was accredited by the Presiding Officer at 8:35 a.m. before casting his ballot.
Speaking after voting, Adeleke expressed confidence in his victory.
