BVAS: What Nigerians Are Saying About INEC's Controversial Accreditation System

The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is currently a trending topic on Twitter as Nigerians are giving accounts of how the technology has either failed them or is not being used as expected.

Several controversies have arisen from BVAS, with many alleging that they were disenfranchised after failing to be accredited by the technology deployed by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Among those affected is a septuagenarian who could not vote on Saturday after five attempts.

73-year-old Samuel Olabode Olaitan was disappointed was denied the opportunity of casting his vote in Igbeti, Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State.

73-year-old voter disenfranchised by BVAS after five attempts

Yesterday’s presidential and National Assembly elections ended up a disappointing exercise for a septuagenarian voter who visited his polling unit five times but could not votehttps://t.co/6N86gyXzwQ pic.twitter.com/6eF5RzVfo5

— The Nation Nigeria (@TheNationNews) February 26, 2023

Others who have a thing or two against BVAS have also shared their experiences on the social media platform.

See tweets below:

Plateau Voters Hold INEC Officials Hostage Overnight Over Faulty BVAS#NigeriaDecides pic.twitter.com/XDVvL9SPS9

— GIDI (@Gidi_Traffic) February 26, 2023

At 4pm, attempts to upload through the BVAS shows "the portal is not yet open" Our Agents have now had to follow the Inec officers to the collation center. @ineclagos @inecnigeria how is the Portal still closed. When we are supposed to be transmitting directly from the PU. pic.twitter.com/j3MOhVRDqZ

— Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour (@GRVlagos) February 25, 2023

INEC is turning out to be the real villain of this election. Please Mahmood Yakubu don't let this be your legacy! Why were so many INEC staff reluctant to upload results? Why were so many BVAS machines suddenly malfunctioning? #NigeriaElections2023 #NigeriaDecides https://t.co/QBeTBTi1bS

— Elnathan John (@elnathan_john) February 26, 2023

What is the essence of BVAS if results are not uploaded immediately after counting at the polling units?

— Emperor Ehi_Remen (@ernieno) February 26, 2023

Despite voting under the rain, we were delayed and later finished casting our votes and got them counted at 1:am but the @inecnigeria staff refused to upload our results in the Server. Labour party thugs Bvas North Benue Delta State Kwankwaso Situation report 1/2 pic.twitter.com/S9S3FN7hOY

— Umar Abdullahi (@umarabdul2712) February 26, 2023

2.22am:

Voters still at VGC park, determined to vote. BVAS not transmitting#WatchSR #NigeriaDecides2023 #SOSREX pic.twitter.com/HO8r4uSvUe

— Rinu Oduala ?? (@SavvyRinu) February 26, 2023

 

For the records, Labour Party won my polling unit, and the BVAS was taking forever to upload n the most annoying part is dat what is to be uploaded is a Jpeg less than 3mb or there about, meaning that the network was either deliberately turned off or speed reduced. I won shaa pic.twitter.com/gGQj7sOsHN

— Kenny Ozie⚪️???? (@kenkabulli) February 26, 2023

At my polling unit, INEC officials said they were not told to upload results using BVAS on INEC server

They didn't even enter results on the form EC8, only on EC 60

They were told it would be uploaded at the LGA quarters.
This happened in most of the polling units in Imo state pic.twitter.com/S0wXA8T7NB

— IAmThemessageofTMH (@Kingzidizaga) February 26, 2023

ICYMI: INEC officials claimed they lost their password and could not upload results to BVAS. Situation report from Atara health centre nursery & primary school, Aguda Surulere Lagos, Polling unit.#PulseEyewitness #2023Elections #Pulse2023Elections #NigeriaDecides2023 pic.twitter.com/T7mv2ohF9T

— Pulse Nigeria (@PulseNigeria247) February 26, 2023