#AnambraDecides: Provide update on polling units where BVAS failed, YIAGA tells INEC

YIAGA Africa, a civil society organisation, has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to provide an update on the status of elections in polling units across Anambra that experienced malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

TheCable had observed that in several polling units across the state, glitches on the BVAS delayed the voting process.

Earlier, Chukwuma Soludo, governorship candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), had described the deployment of the BVAS for the Anambra election as “complete failure”.

INEC had also extended the voting time till 4pm in some polling units to make up for time lost as a result of the glitches experienced with BVAS.

Reacting to the development, YIAGA Africa, in a statement on Saturday, said it received reports of the failure of BVAS to authenticate voters’ fingerprints and other details.

The CSO, however, commended the people of Anambra for showing enthusiasm in their turnout, adding that INEC owes the people a duty to ensure that registered voters are not disenfranchised.

“Yiaga Africa commends the people of Anambra for the enthusiasm and resilience demonstrated with the turnout for the elections,” the statement reads.

“INEC owes the people of Anambra a duty to take necessary steps to ensure registered voters are not disenfranchised on the basis of technological failures or logistics challenges.

“Yiaga Africa urges INEC to provide periodic updates on the status of elections in polling units where the BVAS consistently malfunctioned or where elections did not hold.”

“Yiaga Africa WTV observed the deployment of the BVAS to the polling units. However, Yiaga Africa received reports of the BVAS failure to authenticate voters’ fingerprints and photos even where voter details were confirmed on the voter register.”

YIAGA Africa commended the professionalism of security agencies during the election, and urged them to investigate reports of hijack of election materials.

“Yiaga Africa lauds the professionalism exhibited by security agencies since the commencement of polls,” the CSO said.

“Yiaga Africa reiterates its call to security agencies to respect human rights and maintain non-partisan dispositions throughout the results collation process.

“Yiaga Africa further calls on the security agencies to investigate reports of hijack of election materials and prosecute the culprits.”