KDI Extols Success Of BVAS In Anambra Governorship Polls Faults Vote Buying
Despite technological improvements in Nigeria’s electoral process, human interference continues to cast a shadow over democracy.
This was evident in Saturday’s Anambra governorship election, where the Kimpact Development Initiative (KDI) reported a 95.6 per cent success rate for the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), but decried widespread vote buying and open display of ballot papers across polling units.
Presenting its mid–election day briefing in Awka under the Nigeria Election Violence Education and Resolution (NEVER) project, KDI said its over 370 trained observers were deployed across all 21 local government areas of the state.
According to the group, BVAS devices functioned effectively in most polling units observed, with only 2.64 per cent encountering temporary network disruptions and 1.76 per cent suffering complete breakdowns.
However, in several instances, facial authentication was required when fingerprint capture failed.
KDI lamented that the strong BVAS performance was overshadowed by blatant electoral malpractice, noting that voters were seen openly displaying marked ballots to party agents and later being led away to receive cash rewards ranging between ₦3,000 and ₦10,000.
“These actions undermine the integrity of the electoral process, and there appeared to be a tacit consensus among multiple political parties in perpetuating this practice,” the organisation stated.
It further criticised the indifference of some Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials and security operatives, accusing them of failing to curb vote trading and interference by party agents.
On logistics, KDI reported that INEC officials and materials arrived on time in 67.85 per cent of polling units, while 32.15 per cent experienced delays, with voting commencing after 8:45 a.m. in nearly half of the locations monitored.
Despite claims of deploying 55,000 security personnel, KDI observed uneven security presence across the state, with some polling units left unguarded.
The group also documented nine incidents of election-related violence in areas such as Ogbaru, Njikoka, and Nnewi South, involving clashes, harassment, and ballot snatching.
KDI called on all stakeholders to remain peaceful and ensure the results reflect the true will of the people, pledging to continue real-time monitoring and release a comprehensive post-election report after the polls.
Follow the Savinews Africa channel on WhatsApp: [https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VawgaEL5vKA9Y5XTFg0n]
