FCT 2026: Low Turnout, Late Arrival of INEC Officials Mar Poll

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja 

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area councils election scheduled for Saturday was marred by low voter turnout and late arrival of electoral officials.

Prior to the election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) had said that its target was for the election to commence by 8:00a.m.

However, while INEC officials arrived at voting centres within the city centre on time, the same could not be said of voting centres at the outskirts.

For instance, at Kogo Primary School, which has polling units 28, 29 and 30, INEC officials arrived at about 8:10a.m.

However, voting did not commence until 8:30a.m.

Similarly, there was late arrival of INEC Ad hoc staff and materials at Polling Unit 064 and 008, Lugbe Across. Observers, party agents, voters arrived as early as 7:00a.m.

At Daki Biyu Village ll (44 Junction), Jabi, INEC officials at polling units 119 and 120 arrived on time, while voters and voting are yet to commence at 9:04a.m.

The story was different at Polling Unit 060 in Abidjan Street, Wuse Zone 3, where electoral officials arrived as early as 7:40am to prepare the unit for accreditation and voting.

Similarly, at polling unit 008 Lugbe, voting commenced at 10:20am.

Details later…