FCT election delays spark concern as PPDC and BISIGI report late voting, BVAS glitches and voter apathy in area council polls
The Public and Private Development Centre and the Bridging Social Inclusion Gaps Initiative have raised concerns over delays, technical hitches and voter apathy during the recent Federal Capital Territory area council elections, warning that the lapses undermined public confidence in the process.
Also read: INEC Commissioner Responds to Low FCT Voter Turnout
At a press conference in Abuja on Monday, PPDC Executive Director Lucy Abagi disclosed that at least 40 per cent of polling units observed failed to commence voting at the official time of 8.30am.
In several locations, she said, voting did not begin until close to midday.
Abagi reported low voter turnout across urban centres including City Centre, Garki, Wuse, Gwarinpa and parts of AMAC, as well as in peri-urban and rural communities.
She noted that many voters left polling units due to delayed commencement and technical disruptions, including malfunctioning BVAS machines and changes to polling unit locations from where voters initially registered.
According to her, voter apathy was more pronounced in urban areas, particularly within AMAC, driven by distrust in electoral outcomes and disillusionment with local governance.
Abagi attributed the delays to the late arrival of election officials, delayed deployment of sensitive materials and the practice of using polling units as distribution hubs while officials awaited security clearance.
“These delays discouraged early voters, especially women, elderly persons and working-class residents,” she said.
On the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, Abagi explained that while the devices functioned effectively in some locations, about 40 per cent of observed polling units experienced technical challenges, including poor network connectivity and battery failures due to lack of backup power.
“These disruptions directly affected voter confidence and participation. In some units, accreditation was halted for extended periods, forcing voters to exit,” she added.
Also speaking, Tina Chidi, Executive Director of BISIGI, urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to mandate the physical display of final polling unit results immediately after counting, alongside the timely upload of results to the IReV portal.
Also read: Dr Mo Rejects AMAC Election Result in FCT Polls
Chidi further called for the publication of detailed ward-by-ward and polling-unit-level results, including full polling-unit codes, to strengthen transparency and rebuild public trust in the electoral process.
