The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has admitted that multiple challenges of logistics, insecurity across the country, thuggery and snatching of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) marred the presidential and National Assembly election on Saturday.
The commission also said that complaints from political parties over insufficient polling units agents, snatching of no fewer than eight BVAS machines were also recorded.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who made the disclosure at a press briefing at the National Collation Centre in Abuja yesterday, lamented that both political thugs, bandits and insurgents tried to disrupt the poll in some states like Delta, Niger, Imo, Abia, Borno and Katsina states.
Explaining the insecurity challenges, Yakubu disclosed that thugs attacked electoral officials in some areas like Safana, Katsina, Shiroro in Niger State, Osimiri in Delta State, among others, resulting in the lost of a total number of eight BVAS machines.
He, however, blamed the political parties on the lapses noticed in the shortage of polling units agents, insisting that the factors have contributed in the delay in commencement of voting in some areas.
Yakubu also added that House of Representatives election in Esan North, South and Igueben in Edo State will now be held along with the State Assembly poll on March 11.
He urged the head of security agencies to mobilise personnel to secure Local Government Area and State collation centres to check-mate any attack on electoral, materials, insisting that despite complaints, the BVAS worked optimally.
