INEC Official Collapses Amid BVAS Malfunction, Voter Frustration in Anambra Election

An Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presiding officer, Miss Blessing Egoigwe, reportedly fainted during Saturday’s Anambra governorship election at polling unit 005, Enugwu-Ukwu Ward 2, in Njikoka Local Government Area.

According to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), the incident occurred amid growing tension and complaints from a large crowd of frustrated voters over the malfunctioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

Witnesses said Egoigwe collapsed while trying to calm the agitated electorate as the BVAS repeatedly failed to authenticate voter details. She was immediately rushed to a nearby hospital for medical attention.

More than 470 registered voters were reportedly unable to cast their ballots due to the technical failure, which prevented the machine from recognising newly registered voters’ cards.

An 18-year-old first-time voter, Miss Blessing Okoye, expressed disappointment over the experience, saying the faulty BVAS dashed her hope of participating in the election.

“My hope to vote for a candidate of my choice was dashed by INEC today,” Okoye lamented.

Similarly, Mrs. Ifeoma Iloeze, a 55-year-old voter, said she waited from morning until 6:29 p.m. but was unable to vote because the device failed to capture her face.

“It’s painful,” Iloeze said. “INEC should introduce an alternative system in future elections so voters are not denied their rights.”

An INEC technician later visited the polling unit to address the issue, but voters said little improvement was made. NAN also reported that the voter register displayed at the unit contained names of deceased persons, further fueling public frustration.

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