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Civil society organisation Yiaga Africa has faulted the conduct of the 2026 Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, pointing to logistical shortcomings, low voter participation and incidents of vote buying.
In its preliminary assessment of the polls organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory, Yiaga Africa said that while the exercise was largely peaceful, notable administrative failures weakened the credibility of the process.
Speaking on behalf of the organisation, Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, explained that the elections, held to fill six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship positions in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali, fell short of expectations in several respects.
Itodo said Yiaga Africa deployed trained and accredited roving observers to all 62 wards in the FCT to monitor opening procedures, accreditation, voting and counting.
He noted, “Overall, the election was conducted in a largely peaceful atmosphere. Voters who presented themselves at polling units were afforded the opportunity to exercise their franchise without widespread disruption.
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“Notwithstanding this enabling environment, voter turnout was generally low, with most polling units recording poor turnout.”
The group highlighted delays in the opening of polling units, particularly in Abuja Municipal Area Council, where observers reported that as of 9:00 a.m., preparations were still underway in many locations, with accreditation and voting beginning around 10:00 a.m. on average.
Yiaga Africa also reported instances of missing electoral materials. These included the absence of a voter register at a polling unit in Wuse Ward until complaints were raised, as well as the non-availability of voting cubicles and an ink pad at some polling units in Abaji Area Council.
Concerns were further raised over the redistribution of voters to newly created polling units without adequate prior notice. According to Itodo, although INEC sent SMS notifications, many messages were received on election day, leading to confusion and congestion.
“The lack of timely and effective communication generated confusion at several polling locations, as numerous voters spent over an hour attempting to ascertain their designated polling units.
“In multiple instances, this administrative shortcoming contributed to congestion and overcrowding, thereby undermining orderly queue management and potentially discouraging voter participation,” he said.
The organisation also observed that some polling units closed before the official 2:30 p.m. deadline, contrary to guidelines that require officials to remain until the last voter in the queue has voted.
On security, Yiaga Africa noted heavy deployment of personnel in certain areas, which it said in some cases restricted the movement of accredited observers and limited voter access to polling units.
The group further reported incidents of vote buying, describing the practice as a “persistent menace” that persisted despite assurances by INEC and security agencies that it would be curtailed.
Itodo urged the electoral commission to ensure that Form EC 60E (People’s Results Sheet) is displayed at polling units and that results are uploaded to the IReV portal and transmitted to ward collation centres to improve transparency and public confidence.
He also called on security agencies to act professionally and impartially, while urging political parties and their supporters to refrain from disrupting the process.
Yiaga Africa said its observers would continue to monitor the collation of results and the performance of the INEC results portal, stressing that the credibility of the outcome depends on strict compliance with established procedures.
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