BVAS failed to capture faces of elderly voters in Ondo, says presiding officer

Angela Oshogwe, a presiding officer in the Ondo state governorship election, says the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) failed to capture the faces of some elderly voters.

Oshogwe, who headed polling unit 19, ward 11 Olamojuba in Ondo West LGA, said the issue was reported to authorities who confirmed receiving similar complaints from some parts of the state.

“The elderly have been waiting for a long time to vote without success,” NAN quoted her as saying.

Responding to the complaint, Rotimi Oyekanmi, chief press secretary to Mahmood Yakubu, chair of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), said the issue was “limited to a few polling units”.

“We are aware that, in very limited cases, a few elderly voters couldn’t be accredited by the BVAS at first attempt,” he said.

“But, in subsequent attempts, the problem was resolved,” he said, adding that overall reports indicated the “BVAS was performing well”.

Oyekanmi dismissed claims of widespread technical failure, adding that technical glitches are not unusual in major elections.

Meanwhile, some elderly voters expressed frustration over the delays.

Agnes Olapade said she had been waiting since 8 am without being able to vote.

“I am disappointed because I voted without any issue in previous elections,” she said.

Similarly, 87-year-old Rukayat Olawoye said she was disheartened after coming out to vote but faced BVAS difficulties.

Ronke Fayankimi, another elderly voter, said she and other persons were determined to wait, hoping the BVAS would eventually capture their faces.