Rivers records high voters’ turnout as violence, BVAS failure, late arrival of materials slow down process

BY AMAKA AGBU

The people of Rivers State turned out in their numbers to exercise their franchise in the 2023 electoral process to choose their president and National Assembly members.

Almost all the polling units visited by the Daily Times in the state recorded large number of voters. However while some units were orderly, others were marked with disorderliness and violence as some political thugs invaded many units, beating up candidates who did not vote for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

At Ubomini, Emuoha, in Emuoha local government area of the state, a pregnant woman and two other persons were reportedly killed and many houses burnt in the electoral violence that erupted in the area.

In unit 13 of one of the wards in Rumuigbo, thugs disorganised the processes, beating up voters who cast their votes for Mr. Obi, asking voters who were not voting for the APC to leave.

Also thugs dispersed voters unwilling to vote for Bola Ahmed Tinubu at Units 13 and 14, Ward 9, Elioparanwo.

In the same Rumuigbo, ward 8, unit 015, with over 2,000 voters, only one BVAS was provided by the electoral empire and as the machine was working very slowly, voters became agitated causing disorderliness.

One of the voters who decided to go back to his residence (name withheld) told Daily Times that he arrived at the polling unit at 9am but had not voted as at 3pm.

However other polling units visited recorded peaceful and orderly voting. In units 007 Rumuigbo ward 8A and unit 003 ward 17 Rumuolumeni axis of Port Harcourt, voting was progressing peacefully in spite of the late arrival of materials and the slow pace of the BVAS.

At polling unit 9, NTA Rd, Port Harcourt, more than 1, 500 voters patiently waited for INEC officials. But at Unit 006 located at the NEXTTIME SUPERMARKET building, Abacha Road, GRA, Port Harcourt, the BVAS were not working which an INEC official claimed was due to the absence of network which, according to him, had been reported to their Rivers State Office.

In many polling units, voting wad still ongoing as at 3pm due to the late arrival of materials and the slowness or the outright malfunctioning of the BVAS. One the INEC officials who spoke with Daily Times said it was not clear whether they would be given clearance to continue the voting till later in the evening as suggested by the agitated voters.