Poll: Kwara PDP deputy governorship candidate decries BVAS malfunctioning
By Kasim Isa Muhammad
Kanempress
18th March 2023.
The Deputy Governorship candidate of Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Kwara state, Hon Gbenga Makanjuola, says he suspects foul play over complaints of repeated brake down of Bimodal Voters Accreditation (BVAS) in Saturday’s governorship and State Assembly elections in some parts of the state.
It was also gathered that the Makanjuola also decried the low turnout of voters which he said might not be unconnected with, “abnormalities” recorded during the February 25 presidential elections in the state.
Blueprint reported that the former member of the House of Representatives who cast his ballot in his Oke- Aja polling units (008), Omu- Aran, Irepodun local government, decried the non-functioning of BVAS in some polling units believed to be strongholds of the oppositions in Omu-Aran.
“The turnout is low, maybe because of complicity in the last elections on the aspect of the umpire where voters are being deprived of their votes from being counted and maybe some People believe they have gotten what they wanted.
“Voting has not commenced in some polling units in ST. Paul (units 10 and 12), from the report I am getting, INEC officials complained that BVAS is breaking down, I am suspecting that something is going on may be because that is the area they believe the opposition has their votes. Why can’t they replace it (BVAS) with another one, they have their RACs centres here,” he said.
He, in addition, urged INEC to ensure that it corrects the abnormalities recorded during the February 25 election by ensuring votes counted are uploaded immediately.
Also speaking to journalists at his polling unit 008, former military administrator of Bauchi and Osun states, Col Theophilus Bamigboye, expressed concerns about voter apathy recorded in the elections saying “the turnout is low, but I don’t know why”
He, however, expressed delight with the peaceful conduct of the elections and how voters conducted themselves.
