Despite the deployment of 6,866 BVAS in Rivers, candidates fear tampering

Although the implementation of the 6,866 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) may prevent the manipulation of election results, several political contenders in Rivers State have raised concerns that veteran politicians may use rigging techniques for the 2023 elections.

As a result, they have encouraged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to step up efforts to address potential hot spots for voter suppression and election cheating.

Hilda Dokubo, a Labour Party candidate for the House of Representatives in the Asari-Toru, Akuku-Toru Federal Constituency, claims that traditional politicians may decide to cause trouble at the polling places by sending out their supporters to scare away voters before bringing in their own supporters to cast ballots.

She claimed that disenfranchising any voter in order to make space for more desirable votes amounted to election fraud and should be stopped.

“Yes, the BVAS is here, and Rivers State has a reputation for being a hotbed for elections,” she said. During elections, my district, which includes Asari-Toru and Akuku-Toru, has always been a battleground. What if on election day we go up and form a line to vote, and then this gang arrives, fires into the air, causing people to flee, and then they bring their own people with PVCs to vote while others with PVCs are not permitted to vote? Is that not election rigging?

According to our election history, these events occurred, and despite the usage of BVAS, similar behaviors will still result in electoral malpractice. We thus hope that conventional politicians won’t cause issues and uncertainty at the voting places since they see elected positions as a means of survival rather than a way to improve society.

Dokubo, a seasoned actress, warned teenagers to avoid being manipulated by anybody or putting their lives in jeopardy for filthy professions. She also asked the electoral umpire and relevant authorities to be on guard.

In a similar vein, Dr. Patience Osaroejiji, the Allied Peoples Movement’s senatorial candidate for the Rivers South-East District, claimed that women are experiencing significant economic hardships and are willing to cast votes for trustworthy candidates. She urged politicians to avoid scaring them away on election days.