Details of FCT council Election

Poor turn out as well as late arrival of electoral officials and materials at designated polling units characterised local council elections  held in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja, on Saturday.

In most of the local council areas visited by SUNDAY PUNCH, accreditation began hours behind schedule largely due to the late arrival of polling officials.


At the polling unit EC 30B located at Kubwa Phase III, one of our correspondents observed that electoral officials, mainly members of the National Youth Service Corps, were brought to the unit at 10:02am when accreditation should have started at 8am.

It was a similar situation at the Model Primary School, Kubwa, where accreditation started at 9:47am.

The Police Area Commander in Charge of Kubwa, ACP Tony Olofu, who led a detachment of policemen to enforce the restriction of movements within the area expressed delight at the peaceful and orderly conduct of the election.

He however expressed disappointment that a number of residents ignored the restriction of movement order.

He said, “The Commissioner of Police, FCT has been on air for the past three days advising Nigerians to stay in their houses until we conclude today’s but alas look at what we have. But we are out to ensure that we restrict the movement of vehicles.

“The elections have so far been very, very peaceful; apart from the challenge of the movement of vehicles which we are handling every other thing has been peaceful.”

At Polling Unit 026 Wuse with registration area code 04 AMAC, located at the Maitama Model Primary School, accreditation began at 10:33am and ended at 11:34 am while voting started at 12noon.

At the close of accreditation, only 38 eligible voters were accredited to vote. Counting lasted barely 40 minutes.

Many voters who came out early went back home out of frustration.

For instance in polling units 024, 025, 026, and 027 in Maitama Area of the FCT, accreditations started about 10.30am.

Expectedly, the scenario paved opportunity for youths in the area who took advantage of the restriction in movement to play football on some of the open spaces.

There was however, a heavy presence of armed policemen and other security personnel.

At Efab Estate located within Life Camp which has only one polling unit, accreditation did not start till 10am.