The Independent National Electoral Commission has refuted allegations that registered voters were reassigned to new polling units during Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory.
In a statement signed by its Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, the Commission stated clearly that no voter was transferred from their originally assigned polling unit.
INEC acknowledged that some voters encountered difficulties locating their designated polling centres on election day. Data from its Election Operations Dashboard indicated that as of 8:30 a.m., 45 per cent of polling units had commenced operations, while by 10:00 a.m., all units were confirmed open.
While expressing concern about voter apathy, the Commission reported an increase in turnout compared to the 2022 Area Council elections. It disclosed that more than 239,210 voters participated in the 2026 exercise, representing about 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT. This marked an improvement from the 148,685 voters, or 9.4 per cent, recorded in 2022.
INEC also explained that the delay in announcing results for Kuje Area Council, which were declared at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, was due to the challenging terrain in Kabi ward that slowed the final collation process.
The Commission expressed appreciation to FCT residents for maintaining peace and cooperating with officials throughout the electoral process.
