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 vote.
It was an unpleasant experience Oyo State, another aged voter was denied the opportunity of casting his vote in Igbeti, Olorunsogo Local Government Area of Oyo State.
Seventy-three-years-old Pa Samuel Olabode Olaitan, who was one of the first people to arrive the polling unit at Ward 5, Unit 2, Igbeti, Olorunsogo Local Government Area, Oyo State was disenfranchised by BVAS.
Pa Olaitan had been glad to find his name on the voter register pasted by INEC but could not climb the accreditation stage.
Although his name and details came up on the BVAS machine upon entering the six digits of his PVC, the machine could not authenticate his details when effort was made to take his pictures.
Attempts made to use the other two screening method, including fingerprint scanning, also failed.
In a space of five hours, the senior citizen went to the polling unit more than five times in the hope of exercising his franchise.
Pa Olaitan expressed disappointment that he could not cast his vote.
He said he had consistently cast his vote at the same polling unit for many years and it was the first time he would ever be denied the chance to vote, especially since 1999.
Pa Olaitan said: “I want to vote. I want to exercise my right. I have been here for more than five times. I came here first around 9 am. My name was pasted on the voter register and I have my PVC with me.
“My name also showed on the machine when they entered my PVC number on it, but when they tried to take my pictures for verification, it was not coming up.
“I was told to go back home and come back again around 11 am. The story was the same. After waiting for some time, they asked me to go home and come back.
“In all, this is the fifth time I have been coming here and it is the same thing.
“I feel disappointed that I cannot vote, because even when they said I should use my fingerprint, it was the same thing.
“I will still wait until the process closes because I really want to cast my vote.”
Reacting, the state’s Commissioner for Environment and Natural Resources, Abiodun Oni, who was at the unit to cast his vote, said it was painful that an old man with such enthusiasm and zeal would be technically disenfranchised.
Although he commended INEC for the BVAS, saying the introduction made the election easy, he said more needs to be done to ensure that people are not discouraged.
“The process is going well. It has been peaceful and calm and we commend our people for the show.
“It is obvious that our people are interested in voting and we must be careful not to discourage their interest.
“This election is by far an improvement from the previous ones and we are sure that the introduction of BVAS will make people’s vote count and manipulation will not be possible.
“So far, there has not been any report of violence or crisis in any part of this town, and we hope our people will sustain the peaceful conduct.”
94-year-old votes, urges next govt to curtail societal ills
A 94-year-old man, Pa Ajayi Deji Aremu, joined the rest of Ogun electorate to exercise his franchise in yesterday’s presidential and National Assembly elections in the state, urging the next government at the centre to take necessary steps to arrest the “evils” in the society.
Ajayi, who revealed that he had been voting in every election since the parliamentary system in Nigeria, was brought to his polling unit 10, Ward 11, Market Square 1 situated at Totoro in Abeokuta North Local Government where he voted around 10am.
Speaking with our reporter, the nonagenarian said he had been since he attained the voting age.
He said: “I have been voting since they started voting in Nigeria. I can’t remember the day and year now. There is no problem with this election.
“Voting should not mean fighting one another. The next government should work to curtail evil deeds in the country.”
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