…As Wike, ADC raise concerns
The Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday were marked by low voter turnout and reports of technical hitches at some polling units, prompting concerns from the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, and the African Democratic Congress (ADC).
While touring polling units across the territory, Wike expressed disappointment over the poor turnout of voters. At a polling unit in Karshi, he encountered only electoral officials on duty, with no voters in sight.
Engaging an ad-hoc official, a member of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC), the minister inquired about the level of participation. The corps member responded that only about 10% of registered voters had turned up.
“Only 10 percent?” Wike asked in surprise. When informed that vote counting was scheduled to begin by 2:30 p.m., the minister added: “Hopefully there will be another 20 percent,” expressing cautious optimism that more residents might still come out to vote before the close of accreditation.
Earlier, the ADC candidate for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Dr. Moses Paul, attributed the low turnout to the restriction of movement imposed for the elections. He described the participation level as far below expectations and said the directive had created confusion among residents. According to him, having lived in AMAC for about four decades, he had never witnessed such a scenario, which he likened to “a state of emergency” over what he considered an unnecessary measure.
Meanwhile, the ADC also raised alarm over what it described as technical failures at the Federal Staff Clinic Polling Unit in Gwarinpa. In a statement posted on its official X handle, the party alleged that malfunctioning accreditation machines prevented eligible voters from casting their ballots.
The party condemned the situation as a case of voter-disenfranchisement, and called on electoral authorities to urgently repair or replace the faulty devices to ensure that all eligible citizens could exercise their constitutional rights without further delay.
Reaffirming its commitment to safeguarding the integrity of the process, the ADC stressed that elections must be free, fair, transparent, and accessible, warning that technical setbacks should not be allowed to undermine democratic participation.
