Widespread technological disruptions have overshadowed the ongoing gubernatorial election in Ekiti State, leaving scores of eligible voters stranded. While early morning voting kicked off smoothly in several parts of the state, severe glitches from the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) quickly dampened the mood. Reports across multiple local government areas indicate that numerous BVAS devices suffered from total network connectivity failures, while others shut down entirely.
The technical breakdown created intense friction at the C.A.C. Primary School/Itafa/Osinkun/Arigidi I and II polling units. Independent observers confirmed that erratic network connectivity crippled the devices, causing massive delays in verifying voters’ identities. A similar crisis hit the Eyeloja’s House/Ojude polling unit, where desperate electoral officials resorted to powering malfunctioning BVAS devices with power banks in a frantic bid to keep the process alive.
Chaos and Disenfranchisement in Ado-Ekiti
The situation rapidly deteriorated in Ado-Ekiti Local Government Area (LGA) as technical failures triggered physical disruptions. At approximately 11:53 a.m., an observer reported that a polling unit’s BVAS device completely stopped functioning. The sudden failure sparked an immediate commotion among rival party agents over the handling of ballot papers, which were allegedly folded incorrectly.
“The system just went completely dead, and everything dissolved into shouting,” an election observer stated. “Eligible voters are walking away unable to cast their ballots because the disruptions and device failures have brought the entire process to a standstill.”
Environmental challenges further compounded the tech failures in Ise/Orun LGA. With no adequate shelters provided at the polling stations, exhausted citizens were forced to wait for hours in direct, blistering sunlight while officials battled malfunctioning BVAS hardware. The story was no different in Ijero LGA, where voting at the Oke Agba Community Primary School in Temidire ground to a halt after a device unexpectedly crashed mid-operation.
Biometric Failures Lock Out the Vulnerable
The strict reliance on biometrics without a backup system has sparked fierce debates among citizens. At the Ejigbo Farm 1 polling unit, angry voters openly protested the complete absence of manual accreditation alternatives. Observers on the ground noted that several legitimate voters were turned away simply because the BVAS cameras failed to capture and verify their facial details.
This rigid system proved particularly heartbreaking for vulnerable demographics. In Moba LGA, an elderly woman was denied her civic right after the BVAS repeatedly failed to recognize her biometric data. Despite multiple attempts by sweating polling staff to manually override or re-verify her registration details, the system refused to clear her, leaving her disenfranchised and raising sharp concerns over the systemic exclusion of elderly voters under the current technological framework.
Data Anomalies Raise Integrity Questions
Perhaps the most alarming development occurred at the Oke Ese unit in Ado-Ekiti LGA, where the Assistant Presiding Officer (APO) exposed a critical software anomaly. According to the official, the BVAS device was experiencing a recurring glitch where the total number of accredited voters unexpectedly decreased instead of counting upwards.
At the time of the official audit, 608 voters had been cleared, and 108 ballots were cast. However, observers recorded this specific data reversal anomaly happening five separate times. On-site polling officials expressed deep worries that these digital discrepancies could severely compromise the ultimate accuracy of the accreditation records, warning that an extensive, manual post-election verification may be required to protect the integrity of the vote.
The widespread failures come as a massive surprise to the electorate. Just days before the political showdown, media briefings confirmed that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had deployed over 2,400 BVAS devices and 9,500 personnel across Ekiti State to guarantee a flawless, transparent election. Instead, systemic network bugs have left the commission scrambling to manage growing public frustration.
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