Bayelsa State Governor, Douye Diri, has called for extension of voting time due to about two hours’ delay experienced in the distribution of voting materials.
Diri who voted at his Polling Unit 4, Kalamaowei Ward 6, Sampou Community in Kolokuma/Opokuma Local Government Area, also expressed confidence in the use of the Bimodal Voting and Accreditation System (BVAS).
“Voting was delayed for about two hours, we have been informed it was as a result of the logistic problem, my plea is that they will equally extend the time that has already been wasted, about two hours that has already been wasted,” he said.
“Then, for insecurity, there is so much that has been done in terms of security, we have not heard of any major security breach, we are collating the security report, we will deal with them accordingly to ensure that everybody is allowed to cast their votes peacefully.
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“I believe that Bayelsa will be peaceful, Bayelsa will witness one election that will be transparent, and very peaceful.
He said the Bimodal voting and accreditation is one system that took a few seconds for him to be identified, adding that if other states and places recorded smooth adoption of the technology, then it has come to stay.
“I believe we should continue with it and then move beyond BVAS because the end of it will be electronic voting and electronic transfer of vote which we have already achieved to some lower decree, if we adopt electronic voting we may have conquered electoral fraud.”
In parts of the state capital Yenagoa, voters were seen milling about polling units well past 10am while at the Registration Area Centre (RAC) at Ovom, officials were distributing materials.
No reason was given for the delay which some voters described as an avoidable lapse by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
There was some disturbance at Agudama-Epie Community in Yenagoa Local Government Area over shortage of ballot papers for the House of Representatives election.
