Edo by-elections: Faulty BVAS machine delays voting in Esan ward

Malfunctioning of Bimodal Voters Accreditation machines (BVAS) delayed voting at Esan South-East Ward 1, Unit 11, Ewohimi, Edo.

The voting process, which was scheduled to commence by 8:00 am, later started at about 2:15 pm after BVAS machine was restored.

However, voting in other units within the area is going on smoothly at the time of filing this report.

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An ad hoc INEC official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said that the BIVAS was restored with the help of a technician contacted by the commission.

It was gathered that voting materials arrived at the centre before 8:00 am.

An elderly woman at the unit, who identified herself simply as Madam Ebotesale while speaking on the delay, said she arrived in the unit at about 7:00 am.

“INEC should act fast to replace the faulty machines in order not to disenfranchise most of us at the polling unit,” she said.

Meanwhile, the governorship candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in the 2024 election, Dr Asue Ighodalo, is holding away across the units in his ward 1.

The soft-spoken financial cum legal luminary, beseeched by his numerous supporters, was on ground to ensure the exercise is hitch-free when Sunday Tribune visited his Unit 3 polling booth.