The Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Candidate for Abia North, in the last Saturday’s Presidential and National Assembly elections, Senator Mao Ohuabunwa has said that the claimed introduction of Bi-modal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS machine for 2023 elections has done more harm than good.
Sen Mao said that, contrary to earlier promises by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, election results were not uploaded through the BVAS to INEC server.
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The deliberate delay and failure to do this, according to him, gave room for the manipulation of poll results at the various collation centres.
In a press conference in Umuahia, Ohuabunwa accused INEC of using BVAS to deceive innocent contestants who believed the innovation would actually help checkmate rigging not knowing it had made things worse.
” I thought BVAS would help stop rigging but now rigging is worse than ever. We trusted BVAS not knowing there was no BVAS”, Ohuabunwa lamented.
He said that voting materials did not get to Arochukwu and Ohafia federal constituency which is his stronghold until around 4:00 pm on Saturday, thus leading to the late commencement of polls.
” I totally reject the result of Abia North senatorial election and I call for a fresh exercise”.
Ohuabunwa alleged non-use of BVAS in collation of election results; deliberate disenfranchisement of his supporters, and resort to manual collation as reasons for rejecting the result.
He said there was no election in over 100 polling units in his stronghold, alleging it was orchestrated to disenfranchise his supporters and ultimately suppress his votes.
It will be recalled that INEC on Monday announced Senate Chief Whip, Orji Uzor Kalu of the All Progressive Congress, APC, as winner of the Abia North Senatorial District election.