Voter apathy, late commencement of voting and allegations of vote buying shaped Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections, alongside by-elections in Kano and Rivers states, even as authorities described the exercises as largely peaceful and orderly.
Across the Federal Capital Territory, observers reported delayed opening of polling units, low voter turnout and incidents of vote trading, with inducements allegedly ranging from ₦1,000 to ₦10,000 in some locations. Despite these challenges, voting proceeded calmly in most areas, with no widespread violence recorded.
Early results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) showed the All Progressives Congress (APC) taking the lead in key parts of Abuja, winning several polling units in areas such as AMAC, Garki, Gwarimpa and Nyanya. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) recorded early gains in Gwagwalada, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) showed strength in Kubwa and Bwari, where it secured some polling units.
The contest in the FCT was further politicised by verbal exchanges between the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, and FCT Senator Ireti Kingibe, as both sides traded words over the expected outcome of the polls.
In Rivers State, the APC dominated the House of Assembly by-elections in Ahoada East Constituency II and Khana Constituency II amid low turnout, with major opposition parties absent from the ballot. Similarly, in Kano State, voter participation was weak, with electoral officers reportedly waiting for voters in several polling units.
Civil society groups, including the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room and Yiaga Africa, commended the peaceful conduct of the elections but expressed concern over vote buying, low turnout and logistical delays. They urged security agencies to enforce electoral laws and called on INEC to strengthen transparency ahead of future polls.
As of press time, collation of final results across the affected states was still ongoing.
