FCT area council polls peaceful, voter turnout abysmally low

By Abubakar Yunusa

Voting in Saturday’s Area Council elections along the Jikwoyi–Kurudu–Gidan Mangoro–Orozo–Karshi corridor of the Federal Capital Territory was largely peaceful but marred by abysmally low turnout.

A visit to several polling units across the axis showed that accreditation and voting commenced on schedule, with officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission and security personnel present.

However, many centres recorded only a handful of voters hours after the exercise began.

At Polling Unit 060 in Gidandaya, turnout was described by residents as “very, very low”. Out of 671 registered voters, only a few had been accredited as of mid-morning.

INEC ad hoc staff, supported by police officers, were seen seated and waiting for voters to arrive.

At the Orozo Collection Centre within Government Secondary School, Orozo, voting went on smoothly at Polling Units 001, 009, 014 and 017. Soldiers stationed at the gate opposite the Technical College maintained a visible presence, while the process continued without disruption.

In Karshi, Polling Units 027 and 028, located in front of the Satellite Towns Development Department, recorded orderly accreditation and voting. But the unit opposite the General Hospital painted a different picture, with officials largely idle due to sparse attendance.

Police patrol teams intermittently drove through the axis, blaring sirens to reinforce security visibility.

Despite the lethargic pace at polling centres, commercial activities thrived. Markets in Kurudu, Orozo and Kpeigyi were bustling, as traders sold vegetables, grains and other food items. Buyers haggled and transacted freely, in sharp contrast to the muted civic engagement nearby.

Some residents blamed voter apathy and growing dissatisfaction with the political process for the poor turnout. Others cited security concerns and logistical hiccups.

A number of voters also complained about unannounced changes to their polling units. They said they arrived at their usual centres only to discover that their names had been reassigned elsewhere, leading to confusion.

Although the process remained peaceful and procedurally orderly, the low participation underscored the continuing struggle to galvanise voter interest in grassroots elections within the nation’s capital.