Residents Defy Downpour to Cast Ballots Amid BVAS Challenges and Movement Restrictions…
Despite heavy rainfall on Saturday morning, residents of Rivers South-East Senatorial District turned out in large numbers to participate in the by-election taking place across seven local government areas of Rivers State.
The election is being conducted to fill the vacant senatorial seat left by the death of former senator Barry Mpigi, who died in February.
Voting is taking place in Khana, Gokana, Tai, Eleme, Andoni, Opobo-Nkoro and Oyigbo local government areas.
Although the early morning downpour delayed the distribution of electoral materials in some areas, accreditation and voting later commenced simultaneously in affected polling units.
Strong Turnout Despite Weather Challenges
A significant number of voters were observed at B-Dere Ward 4 in Gokana Local Government Area, which comprises 21 polling units.
In Tai Local Government Area, the hometown of the late senator, residents ignored the adverse weather conditions and arrived early at polling centres to cast their votes.
By 11 a.m., dozens of voters had already completed accreditation and voting in several polling units.
Abe Commends Peaceful Process
Chairman of the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission board and former senator, Magnus Abe, voted at Ward 16 in Bera, Gokana Local Government Area, at about 10:20 a.m.
Speaking after voting, Abe described the exercise as peaceful and expressed optimism that the election would be successful across the district.
“The election is very peaceful. There is no problem here. The weather has slowed turnout a bit, but I think the weather is improving and the turnout is also improving.
“So we are very confident that this exercise will be very successful across the Senatorial District,” he said.
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He urged eligible voters to actively participate in the democratic process rather than remain passive observers.
“You cannot sit in your house and complain. You cannot sit on social media and be complaining and then when it is time to do the hard work as a citizen, you fail to do it.
“So my appeal to all men and women of the Rivers South-East Senatorial District is to come out en masse and participate in this exercise. It is peaceful, it is fair and it is clearly transparent.
“I want to commend INEC for what they have put together,” Abe added.
BVAS Glitches Raise Concerns
A stakeholder in Tai Local Government Area, Gideon Demua, praised the enthusiasm displayed by voters but expressed concern over technical issues affecting the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System.
“The enthusiasm of the electorate is amazing. By 7:15 a.m., almost all the units were occupied for accreditation.
“Materials arrived on time, and you can see the massive turnout in all the units. People are voting. The challenges we are having are with the BVAS.
“We are having network issues, technical issues in one or two units. We expect INEC to live up to expectations,” he said.
Movement Restriction Partially Observed
The Rivers State Police Command had earlier announced restriction on movement from midnight on Friday until 6 p.m. on Saturday to ensure a smooth electoral process.
However, some businesses remained open in parts of the state despite the directive.
In Eleme Local Government Area, heavy-duty trucks, private vehicles and tricycles were seen operating freely along the East-West Road.
Markets in Agbonchia, Aleto and Alesa communities remained closed, while police officers carried out stop-and-search operations around the Trailer Park axis.
Slight vehicular movement was also observed in parts of Eleme and Tai local government areas as the exercise continued peacefully.
Rafiyat Sadiq is a political, justice, and human rights reporter with Pinnacle Daily, known for fearless reporting and impactful storytelling. At Pinnacle Daily, she brings clarity and depth to issues shaping governance, democracy, and the protection of citizens’ rights.