Voter accreditation was disrupted in several areas of Ekiti State on election day after the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) encountered difficulties capturing the biometrics of some elderly voters.
Residents of the state in south-west Nigeria are currently participating in the governorship election.
At Polling Unit 007 in Ado ‘J’ Okesa, an 90-year-old voter was unable to be accredited after the device failed to recognise her facial image and fingerprints.
Similar technical issues were reported in other polling units, where the BVAS repeatedly failed to verify elderly voters, resulting in delays and long queues.
At Ugele/Arokun Ward 006 in Ikere Local Government Area, accreditation was also slowed by BVAS malfunctions, with only three people processed as of 8:30am.
Mercy Omeiza, the presiding officer at Polling Unit 13, Ward 20, Iyin 1, Iyin-Ekiti, said the device struggled particularly with older voters, forcing repeated attempts.
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“The BVAS is not capturing most of the old people. We asked them to wait and sit while we keep trying and trying,” she said.
“I heard other polling units around are also facing the same challenge.”
Although voting began on schedule, officials initially prioritised elderly citizens and pregnant women during accreditation.