Sylvester Idowu in Warri
Three National Youth Service Corps(NYSC) members serving as adhoc officials for the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) were yesterday held hostage by electorate in the rescheduled Presidential and National Assembly elections in Warri, Delta State.
The officials, who were deployed to Ward 1, Unit 19, Oki 1, off Okere road, were still being detained as at 6.45 pm last night over malfunctioning of the BVAS assigned to them for accreditation of voters in the Itsekiri community.
The three youth corpers, identified as Udon Stephanie, Igein Theresa and Adeleke Balikiz Yetunde were allegedly abandoned to their fate by their supervisory polling officer.
THISDAY gathered the electoral officials arrived their assigned polling units at about 4 p.m, whereas the electorate had been waiting since morning only to be told that the BVAS machine malfunctioned.
“We were here yesterday from morning till night and couldn’t vote. Again, today, we have been waiting since morning and they came in this afternoon only to tell us that the BVAS machine is not working.–
“The SPO took the machine away and we have not seen her. The Corpers are with us. We won’t allow them to go. We must vote,” one of the community youths was heard shouting.
ßWhen contacted to comment on the matter, the Electoral Officer in charge of INEC in Warri, Mr. Kingsley Ogboe, said he was not permitted to speak to the press.
