A group is demanding unimpeded access to polling units for voters in Bayelsa.

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A group is demanding unimpeded access to polling units for voters in Bayelsa.

By; Mary Owolabi

The Bayelsa People’s Assembly BPA, an election observer group is demanding that voters be given unobstructed access to polling locations during the ongoing governorship election in Bayelsa State.

The group received troubling reports from the Basambiri communities in Nembe Local Government. Members of a political party and election observers claimed they were denied access to the communities and polling locations.

The group is also concerned about the non-deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines in several polling units across Nembe and Brass Local Governments.

There are concerns about voters being unable to exercise their democratic rights freely in Basambiri due to alleged restrictions on access. The Bayelsa Peoples Assembly (BPA) has released a statement expressing deep concern over what it describes as an “unprecedented act of intimidation” aimed at suppressing people’s participation in the electoral process.

The statement, signed by Kenneth Ikurite, calls on relevant authorities, including the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and security agencies, to intervene and ensure that all eligible voters, regardless of their party affiliation, have unimpeded access to polling units.

BVAS machines are crucial in verifying voters through biometric data, which enhances the credibility of the electoral process. However, reports indicate that manual verification is being used in some affected areas, raising concerns about the efficiency and accuracy of the process.

This absence of BVAS machines has prompted calls for INEC to urgently intervene and ensure that the election is conducted according to established electoral guidelines. Despite this, INEC has not yet released an official statement addressing the issues raised in the Basambiri communities and the reported non-deployment of BVAS machines.

As the voting process is already underway in Bayelsa State, emerging issues in Basambiri communities and concerns about BVAS machine deployment have been raised.

These issues raise serious concerns about the credibility of the electoral process, and the electoral authorities must take swift and thorough action to uphold its integrity.

The eyes of the public are on INEC and security agencies to address these challenges and ensure a credible and fair election. Unfortunately, the Head of Voter Education and Publicity at the INEC office in Bayelsa state, Wilfred Ifogah, was not immediately available for comments.