Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State on Saturday expressed concerns over the slow performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in the ongoing by-election in Edo Central Senatorial District.

Okpebholo said this while casting his vote at Ward 2 Polling Unit 1 in Udomi Primary School in Esan Central Local Government.

Speaking with journalists shortly after casting his vote, Okpebholo said that although the exercise was peaceful, the BVAS machines deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were causing unnecessary delay.

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“Well, I just voted. You can see the frustration.

“The BVAS is just too slow. It takes too long before you can get accredited.

“I think INEC needs to look into this. So far, so good, the reports I’m getting are good,” Okpebholo said.

The governor, however, commended INEC for the peaceful conduct of the exercise.

He urged the electorate in the senatorial district to participate fully in the process and defend their votes.

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“The process has been smooth here and the reports I am getting from other areas in the district are also smooth.

“INEC is doing well. I urge the voters to come out to vote and defend their votes,” Okpebholo said.

The by-election is being conducted to fill the vacant senatorial seat following Okpebholo’s emergence as Governor of Edo State.

Mr. Adewale Olatunji, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate in the Ibadan North Federal Constituency by-election, on Saturday, lamented the low voter turnout during the exercise.

Olatunji, who cast his vote at 11:25 a.m. at Ward 10 Unit 27, Bodija Police Station near Oyo State Housing Corporation, described the electorate’s apathy as discouraging.

He noted that while voting has been simplified, by-elections in Nigeria often record poor turnout. Olatunji urged residents to come out in large numbers before polls close.

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“If you are sending us out to represent you, then you must come out and do your part,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) candidate, Mr. Folajimi Oyekunle, also voted at the same unit.

Oyekunle described the election as peaceful, based on his experience at the polling unit.

“As far as my polling unit is concerned, I have cast my vote, and everything is going on well,” he said.

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Meanwhile, voter turnout at Ward 11, Units 17, 18, and 42, Abadina, University of Ibadan, was more substantial. A voter, Mr. Sunday Unabo of Unit 17, noted that INEC officials arrived early, even before voters.

“The election is going smoothly. The only issue is that some voters had their polling units changed by INEC without prior notice,” he said.

Similarly, an impressive turnout was reported at Ward 4, Unit 12, beside NTA Ibadan.

Security operatives in Ogun State have arrested some persons suspected to be officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, with a large sum of money ahead of the by-election in the state.

The suspected INEC officials were arrested alongside a politician allegedly plotting to buy votes during the election.

The politician and the INEC officials who were seen being questioned in a video clip posted on social media on Saturday were said to have been nabbed at a hotel in Iperu-Remo, Ikenne Local Government Area of Ogun State.

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In the video which is currently going viral, the INEC officials, a male and a female, and alleged PDP officers could be seen squatting and being interrogated by an unidentified security personnel.

The interrogator said intelligence reports indicated that the INEC officials were earlier contacted and given a large sum of money by party officials for alleged vote buying during the by-election.

Watch video:

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