Voting in several polling units across Nnewi North Local Government Area of Anambra State was delayed on Saturday due to slow performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
At Okpunegbu Hall, Umudim 1, Polling Units 018 and 021, the process was disorganised as frustrated voters complained about the sluggish accreditation. Election monitors from the Centre for Journalism and Innovation Development (CJID) reported that some party agents were assisting officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to troubleshoot the machines.
The delays created tension at the polling centres, with some voters expressing anger over the prolonged wait. Monitors also observed reports of vote buying in the affected units, allegedly involving agents and officials of major political parties.
Party representatives were reportedly seen compiling lists of their supporters along with voter card numbers, an act believed to be linked to attempts to purchase votes.
A party agent at one of the polling units told BusinessDay that many people at the scene were not genuinely interested in voting unless financial inducements were offered. “The BVAS is slow in capturing. Many of those here are only waiting for money, not to cast their votes,” the agent said.
The situation remained tense as some voters threatened to leave if the machines were not fixed or if payments were not made.
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