Ekiti election sees low turnout amid BVAS challenges for elderly voters

The governorship election in Ekiti State, Nigeria, saw a notably low voter turnout in Ilawe-Ekiti on Saturday. An observer from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) noted that many residents were occupied with their daily commercial activities or household chores instead of participating in the election.

At various polling units, including Polling Unit 3, Ward 2, INEC officials and security agents were present, awaiting voters. However, in other units, such as Unit 4, Ward 1, and Unit 11, Ward 1, which is the polling unit for the Senate's spokesperson, officials were also waiting for voters to arrive.

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I am here to cast my vote but the INEC officials told us that BVAS is not capturing the aged voters, saying we should wait.

Folorunso Ojo, a community leader, attributed the low turnout to a potential loss of faith in the electoral process among residents. He urged those who had not yet voted to exercise their civic duty. Meanwhile, in the Oke Iyinmi area of Ado Local Government, Ward 6, Unit 005, electoral officials encountered significant delays due to issues with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). The machine struggled to capture the fingerprints and facial features of some elderly voters, leading to repeated attempts and frustration.

Gabriel Ojo, an elderly voter, described the situation as unfortunate and called for INEC to improve its voting processes, particularly for senior citizens. This mirrors concerns raised by observers regarding the BVAS's inability to recognize some elderly voters.

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We are waiting for the BVAS to capture us so as to enable us to cast our votes.