A civic group, Yiaga Africa, has attributed the low turnout recorded in the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections to poor voter awareness and weak communication about polling arrangements.
SYMFONI reports that in the group’s preliminary report released on Saturday, while the election was largely peaceful, many eligible voters stayed away due to confusion over polling unit locations and inadequate information ahead of the exercise.
The elections, conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission, covered the six area councils of the FCT, with chairmanship and councillorship seats contested across 62 wards.
Yiaga Africa said its trained observers were deployed across the territory from 7:30 a.m. to monitor accreditation, voting, and counting processes. According to the group, most polling units recorded poor turnout, even though the process was largely calm and orderly in many locations. It said the low participation reflected weak voter mobilisation and limited awareness about the election.
Observers noted that several voters who showed up were unsure of their correct polling units, especially in areas where polling units had been relocated. Although INEC sent SMS notifications to affected voters, many received the messages late, some hours after voting had started. This led to delays, overcrowding, and frustration at several polling centres.
The report also highlighted late commencement of voting in several areas, particularly in the Abuja Municipal Area Council, where election officials and materials arrived behind schedule. In some polling units in Wuse and Gwarinpa, voting did not begin until about 10:00 a.m., as officials were still setting up the process. Yiaga Africa also reported missing materials in some locations, including voter registers, voting cubicles, and ink pads needed for the exercise.
Observers further noted that some polling units closed before the official closing time of 2:30 p.m., contrary to guidelines requiring polling officials to attend to all voters already on the queue. Heavy security deployment in some areas restricted access for both voters and accredited observers. Despite the generally peaceful conduct of the election, Yiaga Africa said incidents of vote buying were recorded in several polling units, showing that the electoral process remains vulnerable to financial inducement.
The group therefore called on INEC and other stakeholders including the media to improve voter education, communication, and logistics ahead of future elections, noting that stronger public awareness campaigns are essential to boost participation and protect electoral integrity.
