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Ayobami Ife, Abeokuta
The Presidential and National Assembly election went smoothly in Ogun State with relative large voters turn out but with hitches in some polling units and wards due to malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System (BVAS) machine and late arrival of electoral officers and materials.
Former governor Olusegun Osoba left his
Polling Unit 15 in Ward 14 at the Government Reservation Area (GRA) Ibara disappointed after being unable to vote, following repeated failure by the Bimodal Voter’s Accreditation System (BVAS) machine to recognise and accredit him for the exercise.
Osoba who first arrived the venue at 11.a.m, tried to get accredited but the machine failed and when he returned to the centre the second time at 2.pm, the BVAS could neither recognise his face nor the finger marks.
Even when he varied his dressing to repeat the process first with cap on his head and later without the cap on, the BVAS still failed Osoba in both instances, prompting him to leave the venue saying,”I’m highly disappointed.”
He lamented that three other persons suffered same fate like him at his polling unit.
The ex – governor however, expressed satisfaction at the large turn out of voters at the polling centre, expressing the confidence that the All Progressives Congress(APC) will be victorious at the end of the day.
Speaking with reporters after the disappointing exercise, Osoba said,
“I have been here twice today and the BVAS failed. The BVAS did not capture my details and I have refuse to vote because it may lead to the cancellation of the large turnout of voter in this polling unit if I decide to vote.
“Notwithstanding that my name and picture was on the voters register and the card I used in 2019 successfully is the same card on this same unit, I don’t want to vote because I don’t want the BVAS to go and show the extra one vote cast that is not captured by the BVAS for this unit.”
“So it is better for me to save hundreds of votes than to use my one votes because I want to insist on voting to lead to the cancellation of the electoral process in this unit.
“I feel very very sad, but I was encouraged with the urge turnout, and particularly many elderly citizens of between 70 to 80 years coming out to gives me confidence that APC is close to victory.
“I have confidence in INEC, it was just a technological failure, only two or three of us could not vote in this unit. Definitely we will do everything possible to make sure that the situation is reversed and ensure that the IT Centre make sure that things work better.
“The security performance is Ok, INEC did well here. I am appealing to INEC to ensure that it extend voting period in those places where election started late.
“I am appealing to INEC to ensure that it extend voting period in those places where election started late.
“In terms of peaceful conduct of the election and security, one is encouraged. I want to thank our people and congratulate them for their peaceful coexistence irrespective of whichever political party they are voting.”
