Many voters willing to vote in the ongoing Federal Capital Territory (FCT) council election at Karshi V Kutare polling unit 005, Ward 08 polling units appeared stranded as malfunctioning Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) slowed down the process.
At exactly 8am, many voters residing in Karshi and its environment converged on the polling unit to cast their ballot, but to their dismay, the electoral officials arrived late with the materials.
In an interview with Blueprint, the polling unit officer, Karshi V Kutare polling unit 005, Ward 08, Abdulkadir Dauda, disclosed that they had challenges in locating the place.
He said, “We had a little challenge in locating our polling unit. But as you can see the process is on. The only challenge we have is the Biometric Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) which seems to select.
“When we used it for five voters, the machine only accredited one. But we have complained to INEC, they told us to keep trying that the problem is not peculiar to our location.”
A voter who was successfully accredited, Hauwa Rabo, after casting her ballot confirmed that aside from the malfunctioning BVAS, the atmosphere was peaceful.
She said, “As you can see, the turnout here is massive, people are ready and willing to vote. But the machine is delaying. I came out at 8am, and I was able to vote a few minutes ago (11:05).
“Aside from the machine, the atmosphere is peaceful and no intimidation of voters here.”
Meanwhile, there was mild drama at a polling unit stationed at close shops, opposite ECWA church, Karu Abuja.
The electoral officers posted there came with electoral materials tagged polling unit 030, while the electorate in the area prevented them from carrying on with their assignment, insisting that it was polling unit 003 and 030.
One of the electorates, Aminu Mohammed, said, “We have been voting here for years. This is polling unit 003 and not 030. So the materials that they have with them is not for this unit.”
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) Agent, Jerry Maji, lamented that “INEC failed to release and paste the names as at when due. The list would have helped the officials to identify their polling units.”
When asked about the electoral officials’ whereabouts, he said they have gone to check other units.
In a related development, the late arrival of materials and electoral officials was observed in LEA primary school polling units 087, 089 and 014.
Also, voters at Polling Unit 019 in Kado Kuchi, Gwarinpa Ward, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), have lamented avoidable delay in accreditation of voters in the FCT Area Council election.
Speaking with Blueprint at the polling unit in Kado Kuchi village centre, a civil servant, who preferred to be identified only as Mrs Adetayo, said she has been on the queue since 8am without being accredited as of 1:10pm.
She said: “I’ve been here for more than five hours, but the line is not moving. I am greatly disappointed, because this is an election that is not supposed to waste time. The machine has been breaking down and voters are being rejected while thumbprinting.
“I advise INEC to deploy more machines to capture voters, because the lone machine they provided is just wasting time. We left many things unattended just to come and vote, so I am disappointed to be on the queue, which is not moving even now.”
However, reacting to the voting process, the Presiding Officer, Mr Mato Raphael, said a total of 2,226 voters registered at the polling unit, with area code 05.
He said accreditation started by 8:46am, and that there has not been any negative incident.
He said that provides only one machine for any polling unit with less than 3,000 registered voters and appealed to electorate to be patient; in order to be accredited.
He, however, assured that the last accredited voter on the line must vote, no matter the time; as directed by INEC.
