BVAS failure blocks elderly voters in Ekiti election

ADO-EKITI, Nigeria – Low voter turnout marked the #EkitiDecides2026 election in Ilawe-Ekiti on Saturday, as a technical problem with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) disrupted voting at a polling unit in Ado-Ekiti. The BVAS, an electronic device used to verify voters’ identities, failed to recognize elderly citizens at a polling station in the state capital. An unidentified older man waiting to vote told reporters that election officials instructed him to wait. “I am here to cast my vote but the INEC officials told us that BVAS is not capturing the aged voters, saying we should wait,” he said. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has not yet issued a statement on the technical issue or the number of voters affected. Voting continued at other locations, including a polling unit in Ise-Orun Local Government Area, where officials reported the process was ongoing late into the night.