September 4, 2021

Faulty machines and poor logistics including last minute change of polling unit were noticeable during the local government election held across Kaduna on Saturday.

Some electorate in Kaura Local Government Area, on account of this, appealed for extension of voting time in areas with faulty voting machines.

One of the voters, Mr Benjamin Kazah, said the election was very peaceful, but decried the problem of voting machine malfunction, describing it as “a technical disenfranchisement”.

Kazah urged the Kaduna State Independence Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM) to fix the problem and extend voting time in polling units where machines malfunctioned.

Another electorate, Mr Aaron Bobai, said that he was at his polling unit as early as 7 a.m. so that he would cast his vote around 8 a.m. when the election was supposed to commence.

The visibly frustrated Bobai said that he waited up to 10 a.m. but voting did not commence.

“We were told that the voting machine malfunctioned, so I went back home disappointed after wasting so much time.

“KADSIECOM should please fix the problem and extend our voting time to enable us exercise our franchise,” he said.

Voters turned out for the election as early as 7a.m. but could not exercise their franchise due to the malfunctioning of voting machines in more than 10 Polling Units in Kaura Local Government Area.

Checks revealed that voting machines in two polling Units in Manchok Ward, five in Bondon  Ward, two in Zankan Ward and two others in Kaura Ward, among others, were not functioning.

While some of the machines had the problem of Authorisation Card, wrong Polling Unit Code, others had timing issues.

At Polling Unit 001, Unguwan Abba Dube 1, the Presiding Officer, Mr Ayuba Mutum, said that they could not commence election because the authorisation card was not meant for the machine.

In Polling Unit 015, Kaura Ward, the voting machine had timing problem, as such voting  could not commence.

When contacted, Mr Joseph Bako, the Local Government Electoral Officer, KADSIECOM, acknowledged the problem, adding that steps were being taken to address them.

“We are currently collating data of all voting machines that have issues and I am assuring you that we will fix them and election would continue,” he said

Mr Linus Bako, the Information and Communication Technology Support Staff in the LGA, explained that the Authorisation Card for some of the machines were mistakenly swapped with other machines.

On the timing problem, Bako said that the voting machines were programmed to begin operation by 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. automatically, adding that unfortunately, some of the machines were displaying wrong time.

“There is also the problem of polling Unit Code, which when wrongly inputted, the machine would not work.

“I have fixed the machine in polling 001 and voting had commenced around 1:30 pm.,” he said.

Meanwhile, the last minute change of polling unit at Ungwan Muazu District in Kaduna South on Saturday elicited reactions from voters, with hisses and murmurs renting the air.

The usual polling area of the Unguwan Muazu District was the Boko Arena (Filin Boko), where voters had gathered, waiting  for officials of Kaduna State Independent Electoral Commission (KADSIECOM).

Upon arrival at the unit at about 8.35 am, the officials announced a change of voting centre from the usual place, to Government Girls Day Secondary School , Kinkinau, a distance of one kilometer, but in the same District.

The change in venue instantly attracted subtle protest as the electorate  grumbled, hissed and murmured, almost in unison.

A voter, Hafsa Waziri, said she arrived the polling unit at about 7:30am and was waiting to exercise her franchise when the change in venue was announced.

“With all the time l have stayed and energy l have wasted, l still have to walk to Day Bola (Government Girl Day Secondary School, Kinkinau), it is stressful’, she lamented.

(NAN)