2023: There Was No BVAS – Former ECOWAS Parliament Leader Speaks On Election

The former Leader, ECOWAS Parliament, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has lamented over the failure of Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) during the 2023 elections.

Ohuabunwa said that BVAS had worsened the evil of rigging.

The politician, who contested the last Saturday’s senatorial election in Abia North on the platform of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) stated that contrary to what was earlier promised, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) did not upload the result from BVAS to its server.

The deliberate delay and failure to do this, according to him, gave room for the manipulation of poll results at the various collation centres.

Ohuabunwa who stated this in a press conference in Umuahia, accused INEC of using BVAS to deceive innocent contestants who believed the innovation would actually help checkmate rigging not knowing it had made things worse.

“I thought BVAS would help stop rigging but now rigging is worse than ever. We trusted BVAS not knowing there was no BVAS”, he lamented.

Mao said that voting materials did not get to Arochukwu and Ohafia federal constituency which is his stronghold until around 4:00 pm on Saturday, thus leading to the late commencement of polls.

“I totally reject the result of the Abia North senatorial election and I call for a fresh exercise,” he said.

Ohuabunwa alleged non-use of BVAS in collation of election results, deliberate disenfranchisement of his supporters, and resort to manual collation as reasons for rejecting the result.

He alleged that there was no election in over 100 polling units in his stronghold, while also insisting that it was orchestrated to disenfranchise his supporters and ultimately suppress his votes.

Senator Ohuabunwa further lamented that even while voters in the affected areas re-assembled on Monday, February 27 for a re-run poll as directed by INEC, the Returning Officer contrary to Electoral Act rushed to announce the results.