The Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) Situation Room has reported continued malfunctions of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices at several polling units across Osun State during the ongoing governorship election. The malfunctions have caused delays and frustration among voters in multiple local government areas.
BVAS Failures in Ilesa West, Ife Central, and Egbedore
In its latest report, the Situation Room detailed device failures in Ilesa West, Ife Central, and Egbedore Local Government Areas. At 1:34 p.m., the BVAS stopped working at Polling Unit 024, Transformer Junction, Ofatedo Registration Area, Egbedore Local Government Area, due to a low battery. Some individuals offered power banks to support the machine, but the disruption had already affected the voting process.
Earlier, at 1:18 p.m., a voter, Omolade Adeoye, complained that he could not vote at Polling Unit 004, Open Space Irebami Line 1 (A), Ilare II Registration Area, Ife Central Local Government Area. The BVAS failed to read his Permanent Voter's Card and verify his face, preventing him from casting his ballot.
Hanging BVAS and Long Queues in Ilesa West
At 1:07 p.m., voters faced another BVAS problem at Polling Unit 010, Ereja Registration Area, Ilesa West Local Government Area. The BVAS was hanging and could not be shut down because the Presiding Officer had not exported or backed up the data. At the time, a long queue had formed at the polling unit, with voters already tired of waiting.
These incidents follow earlier problems recorded in the morning. The CJID Situation Room noted similar issues in Ifedayo, Oriade, and Ilesa East local government areas. At about 9:06 a.m., the BVAS was not working at Polling Unit 007, Ora Maternity, Asaoni Registration Area, Ifedayo Local Government Area.
Slow Capture and Elderly Voter Challenges
At 9:54 a.m., the BVAS was capturing voters slowly at Polling Unit 003, the Apostolic Primary School, Iwoye, in Oriade Local Government Area. A similar problem was recorded at about 10:02 a.m. at Polling Unit 009, Kajola Junction, Registration Area 02, Ilesa East Local Government Area. By 10:04 a.m., the BVAS could not capture the faces of most elderly voters at the polling unit. Some voters grew impatient after waiting in the queue, while some elderly voters reportedly left.
The reported malfunctions come despite INEC's announcement before the election that it had deployed 4,427 BVAS devices for the poll. According to the commission, the figure included 3,763 devices deployed to polling units and 664 backup devices. The commission said the backup devices represented a 15 per cent operational reserve, and that they were stationed at Registration Area Centres with RACTECH officers to address hardware problems.
The ongoing malfunctions highlight the operational challenges faced during the election, affecting voter turnout and the overall voting experience in the affected areas.
