Voting was delayed at Unit 5, Ward 11, located at Azama Primary School in Etsako West LGA of Edo State on Saturday as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) malfunctioned.
The development prevented voters, including former deputy governor of Edo State, Mr. Philip Shaibu, from casting their ballots.
As of 12:10 p.m., Shaibu had yet to vote, along with many other voters who had gathered early to exercise their civic rights.
The malfunctioning BVAS machine, crucial for voter accreditation, left many frustrated as they waited for INEC officials to either repair or replace the faulty device.
Reacting to the situation, Shaibu expressed his disappointment but remained hopeful. “We have been here since, and the machine is not working,” he said.
“Reports from other units in this local government indicate they are not having this issue — it’s only here,” he told reporters.
However, he refrained from concluding that the malfunction was intentional sabotage.
Shaibu added, “The INEC officer assured us that they would bring another functioning machine and extend the voting time to enable us to cast our votes. I can see that they are working on it.”
The delay in voting at Shaibu’s unit contrasts with reports from other parts of the local government where voting has proceeded smoothly.
As the Edo gubernatorial elections continue, INEC is working to resolve the technical issues and ensure that all eligible voters can participate in the process.
