Voting began behind schedule at L.E.A. Primary School, Jikwoyi, Polling Unit 014, during the ongoing Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory, following logistical and administrative delays.
As of 9:21 a.m., accreditation and voting had yet to commence at the polling unit, despite the official start time of 8:30 a.m. Early-arriving voters were seen waiting patiently while electoral officials worked to resolve documentation, staffing, and crowd control challenges.
Speaking with journalists at the polling unit, Mr. Akpam Patrick attributed the delay primarily to staffing constraints and the unusually high number of registered voters. He explained that while there were officials present, the number was insufficient to effectively manage the large voter population assigned to the unit.
“We are a bit short-handed because of the volume of registered voters here,” he said, noting that the task of arranging and pasting the voters’ register took considerable time. According to him, Polling Unit 014 has over 2,000 registered voters, making the preparatory process particularly strenuous for officials on ground.
Mr. Akpam added that although voting was scheduled to conclude by 2:30 p.m., efforts were ongoing to ensure that accreditation and voting would begin as soon as possible.
Another official, Mr. Muhammed Zakari, identified as APO1, said part of the delay was caused by attempts to decongest the polling unit. He explained that several voters had changed their polling units and were moving between locations to confirm their names on the register.
“Some voters are checking their names in different units before returning here for accreditation,” he said, adding that this movement slowed down the verification process and contributed to the delay.
As of the time of filing this report, officials said accreditation was about to commence once the posting of names and verification procedures were completed. Despite the late start, voters remained calm and orderly, expressing hope that the process would proceed smoothly once voting officially began.
