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Today’s presidential election in the South-South part of Nigeria did not end without disappointments, as Rivers State Governor, Nyesom Wike, expressed shock with the functionality of the Biomodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to his polling unit.
This was as party thugs asked voters at Unit 18, Rumuigbo in Obio-Akpor local government to stop voting if they are not voting for their preferred candidate. The frustrated Voters had to quietly go home to avoid confrontation with the thugs.
Wike arrived at his polling unit 7 in Ward 9 in Obio/Akpor Local Government Area with his wife, Justice Suzzette Eberechi Wike, at about 10:30 am.
However, the BVAS could not accredit the Governor and his wife who were the first voters at polling unit and they angrily left the Polling Unit at Ward 9 unit O7 Rumueprikom, in Obio-Akpor LGA.
After over 20 minutes of unsuccessful tries, a female electoral official appealed to the first family members to check back.
She said technicians will be set to rectify the fault. The difficulty was also experienced in other parts of Rivers State.
Assessing the exercise after a long wait, Wike described the process as a failure. He said he is disappointed with the machine’s functionality at his polling unit.
The governor also expressed the fear that the failure of the machine could mar the election.
TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports that INEC officials had advised Wike to return later as they had invited their technical team to check the machine.
Wike advised INEC to ensure that their machines functioned well before election day.
However, there was an ugly situation brewing in Ward 9, Elioparanwo, Unit 13 and 14.
An eyewitness, Bekee Anyalewechi, noted that “a strong military presence urgently needed at Ward 9, Elioparanwo Units 13 and 14. Large turnout of voters but suspected thugs believed to be working for a sitting governor have arrived there and stopped voting.
“They claimed they were given order to ensure a certain Presidential candidate was delivered, and so, whoever was not going to vote for their candidate should vacate the Polling Units. Frustrated voters are calling for immediate military help”.
Also, Apostle Chibuzor Chinyere, Founder and General Overseer of Omega Power Ministry, OPM, posted on his Facebook page “God bless Nigerian Army, after my call to them. They just arrived Aluu. Pls all those that were not allowed to vote their choice, go back and vote. Army is there now in Aluu, Ikwerre Local Government Area”.