Ramatu Aliyu, the FCT Minister of State has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission to as a matter of urgency improve on the functionality of the Bimodal Voters Accreditation Systems ahead of the 2023 elections.
She stressed that while monitoring the just concluded FCT area council elections, she observed that the exercise was slow at several polling units owing to malfunctioning or faulty BVAS machines.
The Minister, therefore, called on INEC to look into BVAS machines malfunctioning or in the alternative, allow the electorate accredited to vote manually as the nation approaches general elections.
The minister, according to a statement by her Special Assistant on Media , Austine Elemue, stated this at the presentation of certificate of returns to the newly elected chairmen and councillors of the area council on Friday.
The statement was titled, ‘FCT State Minister Tasks INEC On Malfunction BVAS Machines’.
It read, “Today is another remarkable day in the history of FCT as we have successfully conducted one of the most peaceful elections in the third tier of government in Nigeria.
“The elections have been won and lost, but today’s event is for the presentation of certificates of return to the newly elected chairmen of the six area councils and councillors of the 62 wards of FCT. It is worthy to note that the FCT Administration does not in any way interfere with the conduct of the elections. This alone entails transparency.
“However in the course of monitoring the election process in the six area councils the voting process was slow at several polling units because the Bimodal Voters Accreditation System machine was faulty or malfunctioning.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission should as a matter of urgency look into BVAS machine malfunctioning or in the alternative allow electorate accredited to vote manually. I did not say cancel the BVAS, because I am not a contestant in any way here”.