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There were long delays and mixed voter turnout in the early hours of the Area Council elections across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Saturday. Many voters became frustrated because election officials and materials arrived late in several polling units.
In some areas, voting started smoothly. But in many others, people waited for hours before anything happened.
The situation was worse in Apo and Lugbe. Voting was supposed to begin at 8:30 am, but in some places, it started more than an hour late. At the Federal Government Boys College in Apo, voting had not started by 9:34 am because officials had not yet arrived.
The same thing happened at Polling Units 064 and 008 in Lugbe Across. Voters, party agents and observers were there as early as 7am, but INEC ad-hoc staff and election materials did not arrive until 9:37am. At Unit 008, voting finally began at 10:20 am. When the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) was switched on, it worked properly.
In Nyanya, most polling units had not recorded any votes by 9:47 am. The delay also affected Karu. At LEA Primary School, where Units 027, 001, 020 and 018 are located, only ad-hoc staff were present by 10am, and voting had still not started.
Voter turnout was very different depending on the area. In busy places like the Old Parade Ground, UTC Junction and Plateau Street in Area 2, only a few people came out to vote. At Angwa Mango (PU 042) in Kabusa, INEC officials were seen registering voters, but many residents stayed away.
However, some areas recorded strong turnout. At LEA Primary School in Kurudu, election materials arrived by 8 am and voting began on time at 8:30 am. Many people came out to vote there. The process also went smoothly at Army Estate Phase One, with no major problems reported.
Even in places where many people showed up, there were complaints. At Polling Unit 022 in LEA Durumi 1, some voters, including a man named Emmanuel, said they could not find their names on the voter register. They said the issue mainly affected people whose surnames begin with the letters C to E and the letter I.
The affected voters claimed the problem was deliberate and targeted at a particular ethnic group, which caused tension at the polling unit.
