CEM REPORT, ELECTION | Voting in the Ifako-Ijaye Local Government Area of Lagos State has been so far peaceful.
People are still coming out to vote as voting has started fully in all polling units in the Ijaya/Agbodo registration area with 50 (fifty) polling units.
The only report of disruption as of the time of filing this report was at polling unit 24-10-06-051 in Ifako-Ijaye Local Government.
Report reaching CEM reveals that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machine showed that female voters were registered as males on the system.
While the males had no issues, the females who had all other details on the BVAS were correct except the gender column could not be accredited nor allowed to vote.
However, on the list of voters pasted at the unit, gender was correct, and likewise on their voter’s cards.
Party agents and voters at the scene insisted that females should be allowed to vote since their names and pictures on the BVAS matched. But the Presiding Officer insisted he could not accredit them with the gender disparity.
Security presence at the unit waded into the issue to prevent breakdown and any form of violence. The police at the unit advised Presiding Officer to call senior officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for advice on the situation.
Two INEC officials arrived at the scene about 30 minutes after and decided that the affected female voters be accredited since their other details matched the BVAS machine. This resolved the issue and voting continued at the unit which has about 150 registered voters.
Meanwhile, another voter complain about not being able to cast a vote because he did not appear on the list pasted at his unit.
The voter who had his voters card said his polling unit advised him to check other units for his name.
Other polling units in the local government specifically, Ijaye/Agbodo registration area which 50 (fifty) polling units have no crowd at the polling unit as electoral officers are seen gisting and chatting.
The crowd seen early hours at the commencement of the voting exercise have all disperse after casting their votes.
Electoral officers are waiting for the end of the exercise to return to their centres while waiting for possible more voters.
The only people seen at the unit except for the electoral officers and security where present are party agents who are monitoring the exercise.
