The Minister of the Fedral Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike has described voting in the Abuja Municipal Area Council during Saturday’s Area Council elections as largely peaceful, though he noted low voter turnout in parts of the city.
Speaking after visiting polling units, Wike said the election proceeded orderly, with no incidents of violence or destruction of electoral materials.
“Everywhere is peaceful. The only issue observed is low voter turnout, particularly within the city, which has often been the case. However, turnout in some satellite towns is quite impressive,” he said.
Wike acknowledged minor protests at one polling unit but emphasised that they did not disrupt overall voting.
Security Agencies Praised
The minister commended security personnel for maintaining calm across the council, highlighting the absence of violence compared to previous elections.
“The election is peaceful, which means security has done very well,” Wike stated.
BVAS and Result Transmission
Addressing concerns over the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), Wike said assessments of result transmission would follow the completion of vote counting.
“So far, the use of BVAS appears smooth. We will continue to monitor and comment based on what we observe,” he said.
Clarifying Movement Restrictions
Responding to criticism about alleged curfew measures, Wike clarified that the 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. movement restriction was approved by President Bola Tinubu and aligned with standard election security protocols.
“It was not a curfew. People should read statements carefully before reacting,” he said.
Call for Calm During Collation
As voting closed at 2:30 p.m. and collation began, Wike urged residents to maintain peace during the post-voting period.
“The same orderliness shown during voting should continue during collation. That is often the sensitive period when tensions may rise,” he said, appealing to all stakeholders to allow the process to conclude without disruption.
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