BIVAS Failure: INEC Poorly Prepared For 2023 Polls — Wike
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, came under harsh criticism for the underwhelming performance of some of the facilities deployed for the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday, despite his repeated assurances of a better performance in the 2023 general elections.
This comes after Nyesom Wike, the governor of Rivers State, claimed that INEC’s lackluster preparation for the general elections of 2023 was demonstrated by the Bi-Modal Voters Accreditation Machine System’s (BIVAS) delayed performance.
When he spoke with reporters shortly after casting his ballot at polling unit 7 in Ward 9, Rumueprikom of the Obio/Akpor Local Government Area at 12:42 p.m., Governor Wike expressed his unhappiness.
Two hours after being first prevented from voting due to BIVAS’s failure to authenticate them, the governor and his wife, Justice Suzzette Eberechi Nyesom-Wike, had returned.
Wike claimed that despite the organization’s assurances that the identified issue would be resolved, the BIVAS machine still didn’t appear to be fully under INEC’s authority.
The BIVAS is still not very working despite all the assurances made since I left this place two hours ago. I don’t want to start to think something is wrong.
But it does seem to me that it is the same based on accounts I have gotten from other municipal governments.
Then you start to wonder why Rivers people will have the same experience. I don’t want to be suspicious just yet. But I don’t believe it’s very uplifting.
Wike made the point that if the issue went unsolved, it might result in the disenfranchisement of registered voters in the polling place and other areas of the state that had comparable experiences.
“My people cannot be denied their rights. As you can see, I’ve never worked an election where such a large throng was present. I think they’ll make the voting period (time) last till six o’clock.
“Look at the time now; voting should have begun at 8.30am and ended at 2.30pm, but we are just getting started. Hence, I’m not pleased with INEC’s election preparation.
The governor claimed that the voters who had turned out were perseverant and withstood the sweltering sun because they were adamant about taking part in the process.
“The electorate is still out in the open making sure they exercise their right to vote. They have the right to vote. We have also informed them that while we anticipate a resolution, we cannot assume they will be patient.
“I think that everyone in Nigeria will want to vote in this election. Thus, INEC should take every action in their ability to ensure that people cast ballots. People won’t be happy if they don’t cast ballots.
When the Rivers State governor arrived at his voting location about 10.50 a.m., he was unable to cast his ballot.
Technical issues prevented the BIVAS assigned to the unit from operating, making it challenging to accredit the governor and his wife.
