ANAMBRA GUBER ELECTION: Deployment was affected by Transportation Challenges…… INEC

Oru Leonard

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said that the deployment of election resources to polling units were adversely affected by transportation challenges in some locations and last minute back outs.

The Anambra Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Nkwachukwu Orji, who stated this at a press briefing in Awka, noted, “on account of security concerns, some of the transporters that were mobilized and collected 50% of their sign on fee backed out at the last moment, leaving some of our ad-hoc staff stranded. Also, some of the trained ad-hoc staff backed out at the last moment.”

There was extension of time which arose out of several field reports that voters have had problems with accreditation due to malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Dr Orji said the extension of time to 4pm today arose out of several field reports that voters have had problems with accreditation. He disclosed that INEC technicians have already built an update to the devise software to prevent further challenges on the affected BVAS and requested voters, candidates and agents to be patient.

“The Commission is currently investigating the reason the accreditation devices, Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), have worked perfectly in some Polling Units, but not in others. In some of the cases, it would seem that this resulted from software glitches.

“Our technicians have already built an update to the device software to prevent further challenges. The update is currently being installed in the concerned BVAS and we request voters, candidates and agents to be patient and allow our technical staff to solve the problem”, he said.

He reiterated that in cases of sustained malfunction of the BVAS, the Presiding Officer must inform the voters and polling agents that accreditation and voting for the affected Polling Unit shall continue tomorrow or at another time determined by the Commission, adding that with this extension of time and the recommencement of accreditation where the BVAS consistently malfunctions, the Commission assures that no voter will be disenfranchised.

“The Commission is on top of these challenges and extant regulations and guidelines will be applied on a case by case bases. Consequently, we are harvesting areas where voting will realistically no longer take place today, including places where substantial disruption has occurred, to enable a possible recommencement of voting at another time, in line with extant laws and the regulations and guidelines of the Commission.

“We appeal to all voters, candidates, stakeholders communities and political parties to remain calm and law abiding. We assure you that the Commission is determined to a make all votes count”, he concluded.