Ekiti 2026: Elderly Voters Stranded as BVAS Fails Facial, Fingerprint Authentication

Several elderly voters were left stranded during Saturday’s Ekiti State governorship election after the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) failed to authenticate their facial features and fingerprints in different parts of the state.

The incidents were reported in a number of polling units, including Ward 4, Units 1 and 2, Ijigbo in Ado Ekiti; Ward 3, Unit 6, Osagburu in Ikere Ekiti; and Unit 3, Eyelori, Ward 2, Iyin Ekiti.

Some of the affected voters told journalists that they arrived early at their polling units and were attended to by officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), but could not proceed with voting after repeated accreditation attempts proved unsuccessful.

Among those affected was 86-year-old Aliyu Sunday, who arrived early at Ward 4, Unit 1 in Ado Ekiti. According to eyewitnesses, several efforts were made to accredit him, but the BVAS device failed to capture both his facial image and fingerprints.

A similar challenge was experienced by another elderly voter, Mary Ajagbanla, believed to be about 120 years old, at Ward 2, Unit 3 in Iyin Ekiti. Election officials reportedly attempted several times to verify her identity, but the device was unable to authenticate her details.

Speaking with journalists at the polling unit, Ajagbanla expressed disappointment over the development but vowed not to leave without making every effort to vote.

“I arrived here around 9 am, but I was told the machine could not read my face. They asked me to wait, and I am still waiting. I will not leave until I vote,” she said.

She recalled participating in previous elections, noting that she had voted during the administration of former military governor Adeyinka Adebayo and also participated in the last governorship election.

The incidents raised concerns among voters and election observers over the challenges faced by elderly citizens during accreditation.

Despite the setbacks, voting continued peacefully across affected polling units, while some voters remained hopeful that the technical issues would be resolved before the close of polls.