Sorting and counting of votes have started in some voting areas of Bwari, Kuje, Gwagwalada and AMAC local government areas in the ongoing FCT area council elections.
The various polling units visited by Blueprint.ng correspondents indicate that accreditation and voting period were generally peaceful, party agents appealing to INEC officials not to extend the voting time.
Gwagwalada
In Gwagwalada, residents turned out early to participate in the exercise for council chairmanship and councillorship positions.
At Kutunku Primary School, one of the major voting centres in the area council, a large number of voters were observed forming orderly queues as accreditation and voting commenced under the supervision of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Early arrival of INEC officials
Electoral officials arrived early at the polling unit, while security personnel maintained a calm atmosphere, allowing voters to exercise their civic rights without disruption.
Similarly, Phase 1/Gado Nasko Primary School polling unit recorded impressive voter participation, with steady turnout throughout the morning hours.
Many voters expressed satisfaction with INEC preparation for the exercise, noting that accreditation using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) went smoothly.
Peaceful conduct
Residents described the process as peaceful, with party agents and observers present while voters patiently waited for their turn.
However, Blueprint.ng observed that some polling units within the council experienced relatively low voter presence compared to others, as only few voters were seen at the location during early voting hours.
The poll is being conducted simultaneously in 2,822 polling units where voters are to elect chairmen and councillors in the six area councils of the FCT, with about 1.6 million registered voters expected to participate in the exercise.
INEC had earlier confirmed that all sensitive materials, including ballot papers and BVAS machines, were deployed under tight security ahead of the polls to ensure transparency and credibility.
Visible Security presence
Security presence also remained visible across all council areas, following the restriction of movement imposed by the FCT Police Command from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. to guarantee peaceful conduct of the elections.
As voting continues, observers said the turnout recorded in parts of FCT, signals growing voter interest compared to previous council elections historically marked by lower participation.
AMAC, Bwari
Low turn still persisted in places under Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), just voter apathy was recorded in Bwari Area Council as residents stayed away from voting.
When Blueprint.ng reporter visited polling unit 018 in Kuduru ward, opposite Emir’s place, Bwari, out of the I59 registered voters, there was no single voter in sight as officials lamented low turn out, ahead of the 2:30pm closing time.
At LEA Primary School, Dutse Buapma, behind Shafa Filling Station, in polling unit 059, out of 1,911 registered voters, only 60 had voted as of 2pm.
In polling unit 057 Dutse Baupma, out of 602 registered voters, over 60 had voted. In polling unit 055, which has 750 registered voters, there was no voter in sight as some of the bored officials were sleeping.
At polling unit 056, out of 570 registered voters, only 35 had voted as of 2:25pm.
At LEA Primary School, Bmuko 1, in Polling unit 058, out of 501 registered voters , only 82 voted.
At polling unit 054, LEA Primary School Bmuko 1, which has 776 registered voters, only 127 voted as of 2:29pm.
Blueprint.ng reports that an elderly woman, who was supposed to be the last voter, could not have her fingerprints captured by the BVAS machine, despite her face being successfully captured.
