From Abubakar Yunusa , Abuja
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has raised the alarm over widespread vote buying during Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, saying the practice was openly carried out in some polling units.
In a statement issued as voting progressed, the Situation Room said its observers and citizen reports submitted via its election reporting app confirmed incidents of vote trading across several locations in the FCT.
The group disclosed that votes were sold for as much as N10,000 in polling units 008, 056, 057 and 058 in Gidan Mangoro Ward of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, adding that while vote buying was discreet in some areas, it was clearly observed.
The statement, jointly signed by co-conveners Mma Odi and Celestine Odo, said the Situation Room also relied on reports from partner organisations, including Kimpact Development Initiative, CLEEN Foundation and the Inclusive Friends Association.
Despite the irregularities, the observers commended the Independent National Electoral Commission FCT Help Desk for its swift response to complaints escalated by the Situation Room.
On inclusivity, the group said most polling units visited lacked assistive materials for persons with disabilities. While the EC30E form for the deaf was available in many units, braille ballot guides and magnifying glasses were largely absent.
In Karimajiji, a known disability settlement, the observers said none of the required assistive materials was deployed, including the EC30E form. Similar gaps were reported at PU052, Mombolo Street, Wuse, where voters with disabilities struggled to vote independently.
The Situation Room noted that the elections were conducted in a generally peaceful atmosphere, though polls opened late in many areas, with an average start time of 9:15am due to delayed arrival of electoral officials and materials.
It, however, acknowledged early commencement of voting in parts of Kwali Area Council, where officials and materials arrived on time.
Voter turnout was initially low, particularly in AMAC, as residents went about their normal businesses, but queues later formed in Kuje, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji as the day progressed.
The group said some voters had difficulty locating their polling units following last-minute relocations, despite receiving text messages from INEC on the eve of the poll.
On technology, the Situation Room reported that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System largely performed efficiently, with an average accreditation time of about one minute, though isolated malfunctions were recorded in Gwagwalada and Abuja city centre.
Security presence was described as robust, with personnel from the police, civil defence and other agencies maintaining professionalism, despite a few incidents of intimidation that were quickly contained.
The observers also noted the presence of party agents at many polling units, but raised concerns after a party agent was seen wearing an INEC Assistant Presiding Officer jacket at a polling unit in Kuje.
The Situation Room urged stakeholders to sustain the calm atmosphere and called on security agencies to remain professional as voting concludes and collation begins.
