{
  "id": 1634569,
  "title": "Osun poll: NBA calls for BVAS upgrade",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/18/osun-poll-nba-calls-for-bvas-upgrade",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-18T04:16:07.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Daily Trust",
    "slug": "daily-trust",
    "url": "https://dailytrust.com/osun-poll-nba-calls-for-bvas-upgrade/"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has lauded the 2026 Osun State governorship election for its overall peaceful and orderly conduct, but has pointed out significant issues with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) performance across various polling units. In a preliminary report dated August 16, 2026, NBA Chairman Festus Okoye detailed the observation process, emphasizing the generally satisfactory security situation and voter behavior. However, the NBA highlighted several challenges, particularly with BVAS functionality, processing speed, and operational capacity. Some voters faced difficulties with fingerprint and facial recognition technologies, particularly the elderly, while certain polling units experienced slow processing times or complete operational failure. Additional concerns included overcrowded polling units with over 1,000 registered voters, insufficient personnel, and network issues contributing to delays. Despite these challenges, voter participation was reported to be encouraging, especially in areas like Ede North, Ede South, and Ilesa East. The NBA also noted instances of vote buying, voter inducement, and other electoral malpractices in select locations. In response to these findings, the NBA has called for a comprehensive post-election review of the BVAS system, urging immediate upgrades before the 2027 general elections. Recommendations include more thorough pre-election testing of BVAS devices, adequate deployment based on voter registration numbers, enhanced technical support, and improved training for election officials. The association also advocated for a reduction in the maximum number of registered voters per polling unit, recommending no more than 500 voters per unit, with additional equipment and personnel for units approaching this threshold. Furthermore, the NBA suggested relocating polling units from unsuitable locations, such as markets, abandoned buildings, and private residences, to more appropriate settings.",
  "summary": "The Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) has described the 2026 Osun State governorship election as generally peaceful and orderly, but raised concerns over the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in some polling units. The assessment was contained in a preliminary report on the election signed by Festus Okoye, Chairman of the NBA Election […]",
  "key_points": [
    "NBA lauds 2026 Osun governorship election as peaceful and orderly.",
    "NBA criticizes BVAS system for performance issues across polling units.",
    "NBA demands BVAS upgrades before 2027 elections."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}