Election Shockwave: INEC Official Collapses in Anambra Community

An incident of significant concern marred the Anambra Governorship election as an Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) presiding officer fainted amidst chaos and technical difficulties. The event unfolded at polling unit 005 in Enugwu-Ukwu, located in the Njikoka local government area. The presiding officer, identified as Miss Blessing Egoigwe, collapsed due to the intense pressure from a thick crowd and widespread confusion stemming from the malfunctioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Following her collapse, Miss Egoigwe was promptly rushed to an undisclosed hospital to receive urgent medical attention. The malfunction of the BVAS proved to be a critical issue, denying more than 470 registered voters their right to cast their ballots at the Enugwu-Ukwu Community ward 2 polling unit 005. The primary cause of the uproar was the BVAS machine's difficulty in recognizing voter cards, particularly those of newly registered individuals, and its failure to capture fingerprints and facial data.
Among those affected was Miss Blessing Okoye, an 18-year-old first-time voter, who expressed profound disappointment after being denied the opportunity to vote because the non-functional BVAS failed to capture her fingerprint. Okoye shared her pain and demoralization, appealing to the electoral body for system improvements. She lamented, "My hope to vote for a candidate of my choice was dashed by INEC today." Similarly, Mrs. Ifeoma Iloeze, a 55-year-old voter, reported waiting from morning until 6:29 p.m. only to be unable to vote due to the BVAS failing to capture her face. Iloeze described the experience as painful and advocated for alternative voting methods in future elections to prevent such disenfranchisement.
An INEC technician was alerted to the dire situation at the polling unit and made a visit, but their intervention yielded only minimal improvement. Further complicating the electoral process, reports indicated that the names of some deceased voters were still present on the list of registered voters posted at the polling unit, raising additional questions about the integrity of the voter register.
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