Edo by-election: Okpebholo decries slow BVAS performance

Governor Monday Okpebholo of Edo State has raised concerns over the slow performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the Edo Central Senatorial District by-election.

Okpebholo, who cast his vote at Ward 2, Polling Unit 1 in Udomi Primary School, Esan Central Local Government, said the BVAS machines deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were causing unnecessary delays in accreditation.

“Well, I just voted. You can see the frustration. The BVAS is just too slow; it takes too long before you can get accredited. I think INEC needs to look into this,” he told journalists after voting.

The governor, however, commended INEC for the generally peaceful conduct of the exercise and urged voters to fully participate and safeguard their votes.

“The process has been smooth here, and the reports I am getting from other areas in the district are also encouraging. INEC is doing well. I urge voters to come out, cast their ballots, and defend their votes,” he said.

The by-election was necessitated by the vacancy in the Edo Central senatorial seat following Okpebholo’s assumption of office as governor.