Yiaga Africa has reported a generally peaceful conduct of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections but expressed concerns over late commencement of voting, logistical lapses, and low voter turnout.
The Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, stated this during a news conference on Saturday in Abuja.
He said the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted elections for chairmanship positions in the six Area Councils and 62 councillorship seats.
Yiaga Africa deployed trained and accredited roving observers across the territory’s 62 wards.
“Observers arrived as early as 7:30 a.m. to assess opening procedures, accreditation, voting, and counting processes,” Itodo said.
While elections were largely peaceful, turnout was generally low. Logistical challenges affected timely opening of polling units, particularly in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
In areas like Wuse and Gwarinpa, several polling units opened late, with voting beginning around 10:00 a.m., contrary to electoral guidelines.
Observers also noted delays in voter registers and absence of essential materials such as voting cubicles in some locations.
Yiaga Africa also raised concerns over voter redistribution to newly created polling units, noting that many voters received SMS notifications on election day, causing confusion, prolonged searches for polling units, and congestion.
The organisation urged INEC to consider extending voting time in affected areas to prevent disenfranchisement and to strictly adhere to transparency measures, including posting polling unit results and transmitting result sheets electronically.
Itodo called for intensified voter education, timely public communication, and collaboration with stakeholders to minimise future confusion.
Security agencies were urged to maintain professionalism and neutrality, and political parties and supporters were reminded to avoid actions capable of disrupting the electoral process.
“Our observers will continue monitoring ward and Area Council collation centres and the INEC results portal to assess the integrity of the results management process,” he said, reaffirming Yiaga Africa’s commitment to providing credible, data-driven information throughout the electoral process.
