FCT Area Council Polls: Observers demand ward, PU-level results from INEC
Election observers have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish detailed ward-by-ward and polling unit-level results, including full polling unit codes, for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area
Election observers have urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to publish detailed ward-by-ward and polling unit-level results, including full polling unit codes, for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections, in a move they say will boost transparency and restore public trust.
The call was made on Monday in Abuja by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and the Bridging Social Inclusion Gaps Initiative (BISIGI) during a joint press conference.
The observers raised concerns over delays, technical hitches, and widespread voter apathy, warning that the lapses undermined confidence in the electoral process.
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According to the groups, at least 40 per cent of the polling units they monitored failed to commence voting at the official time of 8:30 a.m.
Executive Director of PPDC, Lucy Abagi, disclosed that voting did not begin until close to midday in several polling units.
She noted that low voter turnout was recorded across key urban centres, including City Centre, Garki, Wuse, and Gwarinpa, as well as parts of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). Similar patterns, she added, were observed in peri-urban and rural communities.
Abagi said many voters abandoned polling units due to delayed commencement, technical disruptions—particularly malfunctions of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)—and changes to polling unit locations from where voters originally registered.
She observed that voter apathy was more pronounced in urban areas, especially within AMAC, attributing it to distrust in electoral outcomes and growing disillusionment with local governance.
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Abagi linked the delays to the late arrival of election officials, the delayed deployment of sensitive materials, and the use of polling units as distribution hubs while officials waited for security personnel.
“These delays discouraged early voters, especially women, the elderly, and working-class residents,” she said.
On the performance of BVAS, she explained that while the devices functioned effectively in some locations, about 40 per cent of observed polling units experienced technical difficulties, including poor network connectivity and battery failure due to a lack of backup power.
“These disruptions directly affected voter confidence and participation. In some units, accreditation was halted for extended periods, forcing voters to exit,” she said.
Also speaking, Executive Director of BISIGI, Tina Chidi, called on INEC to mandate the physical display of final polling unit results immediately after counting, alongside the prompt upload of results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
