FCT Polls: Low voter turnout reported in Bwari and Kuje Area councils

The ongoing area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) recorded low voter turnout in parts of Bwari and Kuje, with only a few residents observed at polling units early in the day.

Correspondents monitoring the exercise reported sparse voter presence at LEA Primary School, Kubwa, and Kayada Primary School, Kuje, as of 8:30 a.m.

At Polling Unit 078, Ward 37, Kubwa Extension II, Surest International School, which has a total of 317 registered voters, Presiding Officer Muhammed Abdulazeez said voting began at 10:00 a.m. He noted some logistical challenges, including the absence of seats from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), which they had to source from the school.

Abdulazeez added that there were no issues with sensitive electoral materials, including the BVAS machine. Observers, however, noted the absence of police or other security personnel at the unit.

Despite the low voter turnout, electoral materials arrived early at most centres. INEC officials were on ground at Pilot Primary School, Bwari Central, by 7:30 a.m., while LEA Primary School, Kubwa, and Kayada Primary School, Kuje, were manned by INEC staff and security personnel by 7:50 a.m.

Officials quickly displayed voters’ lists and arranged tables, enabling voters to verify their registration details before forming queues.

Security personnel from the Nigeria Police Force (NPF), Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Nigeria Correctional Service, the Army, and the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) were visibly deployed across other polling units visited.

Electoral observers and party agents, particularly from the All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), and the Labour Party (LP), were also present at the units monitored.

The low turnout and logistical challenges highlight the mixed experiences across polling units in the two area councils.