Wike, his wife, and Abe are unable to vote on BIVAS‘ failure.
The Rivers SDP governorship candidate, Senator Magnus Abe, says the BVAS machine in his ward, Ward 16, in the Bera community in Gokana LGA is not working as of 10:36 a.m.
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Ward 16 has polling units 1–16.
A crowd of voters is also seen patiently waiting to vote.
At 10.48am
NewsReport gathered that Governor Nyesom Wike expresses disappointment as BVAS fails to accredit him and his wife after waiting for a long time at his polling unit, Ward 9 unit O7 Rumueprikom, in Obio-Akpor LGA, with his wife for accreditation and voting.
The Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike, could not cast his vote because of a malfunctioning BVAS machine in his polling unit at Ward 7, Unit 9, Rumuepirikom, Obio Akpor LGA.
INEC officials advised him to return later, as they had invited their technical team to check the machine.
Governor Wike and his wife, Justice Eberechi Suzzette Nyesom-Wike, had come to cast their votes.
He advised INEC to ensure that the voting machines were operational well before election day.
However, as of 9.40 am, election materials have yet to arrive at Wike’s Polling Unit.
Election materials are yet to arrive at Ward 9, Polling Unit 07A, on Ekani Street, off Wimpey Junction, the PU of the Governor of Rivers State, Nyesom Wike.
As of 9:40 a.m. on Saturday, voters, policemen, and other security officials were already on the ground.
No officer of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, was seen as the tent meant for the ad hoc staff is still empty while people await developments.
While voting had commenced at Ward 10, Unit 8, Rumueme, Port Harcourt, with a large youth voter population, at Ward 9, Units 13, 14,
Elioparanwo, Port Harcourt—no INEC official is in sight. There are no election materials, either, and it’s almost midday.
Another development was the discovery of ballot papers for the Rivers South West senatorial election in Unit 3 Ward 1 Ngo Andoni local government area. INEC has yet to explain what happened.