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Civil rights advocacy group, Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria, (HURIWA), yesterday, expressed worry and disappointment over failure of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to use the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in the accreditation of voters and uploading of polling units’ results for Ebonyi North Senatorial District in Saturday’s election.
The rights group, therefore, appealed to INEC to cancel the election and re-conduct a transparent poll so that people of Ebonyi North can be allowed to make their democratic choice.
HURIWA, in a statement by its National Coordinator, Emmanuel Onwubiko, said if such faulty exercise is not corrected by cancellation of that election, it means INEC has lost its credibility as an electoral umpire.
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HURIWA has also endorsed the petition by a former governor of the state and incumbent Senator representing Ebonyi North, Senator Sam Egwu:
The petition reads in part: ‘I have been participating in all the electoral processes in Ebonyi since 1999. The 2023 general election is the worst case of brazen disregard and outright violation of guidelines, as well as rules and regulations of INEC on conduct of general elections in the state.’
In another report, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige yesterday defied an afternoon rain to cast his vote in the presidential and national assembly elections where he said he voted his ‘conscience’.
The Eastern Updates reports that Ngige, who arrived at his Nkwo-Ide public square, Alor Ward 1, polling station 0010 at about 2:57pm, said he voted for the candidates of his choice.
The minister said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System didn’t recognise his fingerprint and face, initially, but later did and he voted seamlessly.
Ngige appealed to the electoral officials at the polling stations 006 and 008 where voters protested that the INEC officials threatened to end voting after the official hours.
He told the INEC officials to extend their time to capture those who had been accredited since they didn’t arrive on time for the exercise.
