Abuja residents turned out in sparse numbers at several polling units in the Abuja Municipal Area Council during the early hours of Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, highlighting persistent challenges with voter participation in local polls.
Electoral officials at Polling Unit 006 in the City Centre Registration Area commenced voting around 8:30 a.m., but by 9:50 a.m., only seven people had cast their ballots. The presiding officer at the unit expressed concern over the sluggish pace. “We are still waiting for people to come out and vote. Though we commenced at 8:30 a.m., as of 9:50 a.m., only seven people have voted,” the officer stated. Similar patterns emerged at nearby Polling Units 007 and 008, where attendance remained thin as procedures got underway. At Polling Unit 008, officials handled the few voters present while anticipating a potential influx later in the day. “Everything is going on fine. There are no issues with the machines for now. We are waiting for more voters,” another presiding officer noted.
Security personnel maintained a visible presence around the polling areas to safeguard the process and electoral materials. Officers from the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, and the Nigeria Correctional Service were deployed to ensure order and prevent disruptions. Reports indicated that electoral materials and voting machines functioned without hitches in these units, despite the limited voter engagement.
The elections, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, cover six area councils in the FCT: Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali. A total of 1,680,315 registered voters are eligible to participate across 2,822 polling units, with 1,587,025 having collected their Permanent Voter Cards, representing a 94.4 percent collection rate. AMAC, the most populous council, accounts for the largest share with over 841,000 registered voters and 1,401 polling units. Some 570 candidates from various political parties are contesting 68 positions, including six chairmanship seats, six vice-chairmanship seats, and 62 councillorship seats.
This year’s polls mark a significant test for INEC under its current leadership, as they are the only local government elections nationwide overseen by the national body due to the FCT’s unique status without a state government or state electoral commission. The elections also serve as a precursor to broader national contests, allowing parties to assess grassroots support ahead of future cycles. To bolster security, the Nigeria Police Force deployed 25,000 personnel to cover strategic locations and polling centres, while the NSCDC mobilised 4,000 officers to protect critical infrastructure. The FCT Minister imposed a movement restriction from Friday night until 6 p.m. on Saturday to support a secure environment. Additionally, 83 domestic and five foreign observer groups were accredited to monitor the process.
Historical data underscores the recurring issue of voter apathy in FCT area council elections, which has plagued the process for over a decade. In the 2022 polls, overall turnout averaged around 9 percent, with AMAC recording a particularly low 5.09 percent out of 1,373,492 registered voters at the time. This followed similar trends in previous cycles: the 2019 elections saw 19.7 percent turnout in Bwari and 11.5 percent in AMAC, while 2016 figures were even lower in some areas. Civil society organisations have repeatedly flagged this apathy, particularly in urban centres like AMAC, attributing it to factors such as perceived limited impact of local governance, security concerns, and disillusionment with the electoral system. For instance, in 2022, Abaji had the highest relative turnout at 18.08 percent, but urban councils consistently lagged.
The political landscape in the FCT has evolved since the early 2010s, with dominance shifting between the Peoples Democratic Party and the All Progressives Congress. In 2013, the PDP secured four councils, including AMAC, Bwari, Kuje, and Kwali. By 2016, the APC claimed five, including AMAC, while the All Progressives Grand Alliance took Gwagwalada. The 2019 results saw the APC retain AMAC, Gwagwalada, and Kwali, with the PDP winning Kuje. In 2022, the two major parties split evenly, with the PDP taking AMAC, Bwari, and Kuje, and the APC securing Gwagwalada, Kwali, and Abaji. This year’s contest features incumbents like AMAC’s Christopher Zakka Maikalangu of the APC seeking re-election, alongside challengers from parties such as the African Democratic Congress and Labour Party, who have targeted urban voters in AMAC.
CSOs, including a coalition of over 70 groups, have urged INEC to ensure real-time upload of results via the INEC Result Viewing portal and optimal functioning of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System to build confidence and combat apathy. They identified hotspots like AMAC for risks of vote buying and intimidation, and Gwagwalada for potential tensions. Recent social media discussions reflect similar concerns, with users noting historically low turnout in FCT polls, sometimes as low as 1-2 percent in certain wards, and questioning whether participation will exceed 20 percent this time.
As voting continues until the official close, INEC has emphasised that eligible voters must cast ballots at their registered units. Early reports from other areas, such as Bwari, also indicate modest turnout, with observers and party agents noting sparse queues. Analysts suggest that breaking the cycle of low engagement could hinge on improved voter education and perceptions of electoral integrity, though the morning’s developments in AMAC suggest the challenge persists.
