FCT Polls: ADC Says Govt’s Premature Curfew Aims To Suppress Votes

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has described what it called the government’s premature curfew in Abuja ahead of the Saturday’s election, as concerning.

The party said the government’s decision to impose restrictions on movement a day before the election is a blatant move to suppress voter turnout, having realised that it stood no chance in the election.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, had announced work free day on Friday, as well as restriction of movement from 8pm on Friday to 6pm on Saturday.
The Minister, who also urged residents of the FCT to come out en masse to vote for candidates of their choice, said “the President has approved the restriction of movement within the FCT from 8pm of Friday, February 20 to 6pm of Saturday, February 21, 2026. Consequently, all security agencies are directed to ensure strict compliance with this directive. “
The ADC however said while some restrictions on movements on election day may be justified, the conventional practice is for such restrictions to commence at midnight on election day.
“We are therefore concerned by the decision of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike to impose a curfew on the FCT from 8pm on Friday. The ADC will therefore like to register our strong objections to this premature restrictions on movement,” the ADC Spokesman, Malam Bolaji Abdullahi said in a statement on Friday evening.
He continued, “Elections must be conducted in an atmosphere that is not only safe but also visibly free and open to all eligible voters. Abuja residents must be able to travel safely to their polling units, remain there until the voting process is concluded, and return home without fear of harassment, obstruction, or arbitrary restriction of movement.”

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