Rigging, IREV Failure, Others Mar FCT Council Polls
The local government elections held on Saturday in the Federal Capital Territory were dogged by allegations of irregularities, technical glitches and low voter turnout across several polling units.
Findings by observers indicated widespread voter apathy in parts of Abuja, as many residents stayed away from the polls, citing lack of confidence in the electoral process and poor awareness.
It was gathered that some polling units recorded late commencement of voting, while others witnessed a very few turnout of voters throughout the exercise.
There were also complaints about the failure of the Result Viewing Portal (IREV), a transparency tool introduced by the Independent National Electoral Commission. Party agents and voters alleged that results were not uploaded in real time in several locations, raising concerns about the credibility of the process.
In a statement issued after the exercise, the African Democratic Congress condemned the conduct of the polls, alleging incidents of manipulation and procedural lapses in some wards.
The party, through its spokesperson, Mallam Bolaji Abdullah,i said the challenges observed undermined the integrity of the election and called for a thorough review of the process, including the performance of the IREV system.
Sodiq Yusuf is a trained media practitioner and journalist with considerable years of experience in print, broadcast, and digital journalism. His interests cover a wide range of causes in politics, governance, sports, community development, and good governance.
