Anambra 2021: Glitch in Machine Stops Ngige, Soludo, Others From Voting

Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige and the candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance, APGA, Prof. Charles Solido were yet to cast their vote as at 4pm due to Biomodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, failure.

The minister has been waiting for hours at Nkwo-Ide Alor polling unit in Idemili South Local Government Area, due the failure of the machine.

Ngige has not been able to cast his vote at the Polling Unit 010, Nkwo-Ide, Alor Ward One, in Idemili South Local Government Area of Anambra State.

He expressed his desire to vote but regretted that the system failed. He put the failure rate of accreditation machines in his area at over 30 percent.

Leaving the Polling Centre to his house, Ngige asked that INEC should extend the voting period to about 5pm to make up for the machine failure.

The minister also advised INEC to always test run their equipment at least a week before election to ensure they are functional. Several voters at the Polling units there could not be accredited to vote.

Soludo on the other hand, who arrived at the Polling Unit 002, Ward 13, at Ofiyi Square, Isuofia in Aguata Local Government Area, at about 12:15 p.m., could not be captured by the BVA system.
He said: “This BVA technology is a complete failure, and by almost 1 p.m. in the day, voting is yet to start in most of the polling units in the state.

“And in places where it is working, it takes about 20 to 30 minutes to capture a voter. With this crowd, even if the device starts working now, it is not possible to finish up within record time.

“It raises fundamental questions because I’m quite shocked to hear that this technology breakdown is happening all over the state.

“Maybe we will still be optimistic that the challenge will be fixed. I have been here for over 20 minutes, yet no way”.

“For example in Uke, there is a ward with 17 polling units but only five have INEC officials. The other 12, no officials.

“There is also the security issue, here in my polling unit, no single policeman.

“In Ihialla, I got a report that materials up until now have not left the local government. It is a very unfortunate situation. INEC should do the needful and make this process successful, ” he said.

Soludo, while urging INEC to fix the technology breakdown, said he was optimistic that the challenge would be addressed soon.

“The INEC chairman assured us that things will get better. So we are hoping the machines start working soon.

“Before 8 a.m., people have turned out in large numbers, even before the arrival of INEC officials, it is very commendable

“I urge our supporters to exercise patience and ensure they cast their votes whenever the machine starts working.

But the candidate of the Zenith Labour Party, Mr Obiora Okonkwo alongside his compatriot in the PDP, Valentine Ozigbo voted amid the glitches.