ABUJA, FCT – Allegations of electoral malpractice have surfaced following the FCT Area Council elections, with reports of open vote buying at Polling Unit 009, LEA Lugbe.
The incident, which was reportedly caught on camera, shows individuals distributing cash to voters in exchange for their ballots. This development has sparked outrage among observers and civil society groups, who have called for an immediate investigation into the breach of electoral integrity.
INEC Under Fire for ‘One-Voter’ Polling Unit
While results are being declared, INEC is also facing severe criticism for what observers describe as a “gross misuse” of resources. At Polling Unit 065, Garki Geological Garden in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), the commission reportedly deployed a full team—including three presiding officers, security agents, and party representatives—for only one registered voter.
Despite the deployment of full electoral infrastructure, the sole registered voter did not turn out to cast their ballot. Critics pointed out that a nearby unit with over 100 registered voters recorded much higher activity, suggesting that the resources wasted on the single-voter unit could have been better allocated to assist busier locations.
PDP Clinches Gwagwalada Amid Voter Apathy
Despite the controversies, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has officially declared Mohammed Kasim of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) the winner of the Gwagwalada Area Council chairmanship election. Kasim secured 22,165 votes, defeating his closest rival, Yahaya Shehu of the All Progressives Congress (APC), who polled 17,788 votes.
The election was further marred by historically low participation in the city centre. The Senator representing the FCT, Ireti Kingibe, expressed deep disappointment over the turnout, describing the empty polling units as “a great shame.”
“There is extreme voter apathy. Nobody is turning out to vote,” she stated, attributing the lack of engagement to voter disillusionment and the controversial movement restrictions imposed on the eve of the election.
FCT Election Highlights
- Gwagwalada: Mohammed Kasim (PDP) – WINNER with 22,165 votes.
- AMAC: Christopher Maikalangu (APC) – WINNER with 40,295 votes.
- Malpractice Reports: Open vote buying documented at PU 009, LEA Lugbe.
- Resource Waste: Full staff deployment for a single-voter unit at PU 065, Garki.
The Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) and other civil society groups have called for an urgent review of INEC’s polling unit distribution and security measures to prevent similar logistical and ethical failures in future cycles.
