Late arrival of INEC officials, poor voter awareness mar FCT Area Council polls in Lokogoma

Voting activities were yet to commence as of 9:10am at Polling Unit 035, Nzube Estate, Lokogoma, in the ongoing Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), following the late arrival of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

INEC officials arrived at about 8:50am, 20 minutes behind the scheduled 8:30am commencement time for accreditation and voting.

As of 9:10am, no voter had cast a ballot at the polling unit. In fact, there were no voters present at the location at the time of filing this report. However, party agents representing the African Democratic Congress (ADC), All Progressives Congress (APC), and People’s Democratic Party (PDP) were on ground awaiting the commencement of the exercise.

Residents attributed the low turnout to confusion over polling unit locations and the absence of visible electoral officials in parts of Lokogoma.

At a major polling centre in the EFAB area of Lokogoma, there was reportedly no official of the electoral body in sight as of the time of observation.

Several voters said they were unsure of where exactly their polling units were situated, leading to frustration and uncertainty. The lack of clear information appeared to have discouraged participation in the early hours of the exercise.

The confusion has prompted many residents to abandon plans to wait and instead proceed with their daily routines and business activities.

The delayed start and apparent logistical lapses raise concerns about voter turnout in the Lokogoma axis, particularly if the situation is not swiftly addressed.

INEC had earlier assured residents of its readiness to conduct a smooth and credible election across all polling units in the FCT. However, early observations from parts of Lokogoma suggest that operational challenges may be affecting the process.

As of the time of this report, accreditation and voting were yet to fully commence in the affected areas.

No security presence at the polling units, too.