FCT Polls: APGA Candidate Accuses INEC Officials Of Influencing Voters At Gosa

A candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Hon. Olarenwaju Femi Success, has accused officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of influencing voters at his Gosa Primary School polling unit in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) during the ongoing Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections on Saturday.

Speaking to journalists at Gosa Primary School Polling Unit 005, Olarenwaju alleged that some INEC officials were using their local dialect to persuade voters to support a particular political party.

“I want to express my disappointment over the INEC officials because from the entrance of the gate, I started getting reports that they were using their dialect to communicate with people to vote for a particular party,” he said.

“I wanted to witness it myself, so I came in disguise and saw it happening.”

The APGA candidate further expressed shock that the same officials who trained party agents on voting secrecy were allegedly violating the principle of confidentiality.

“We were trained by the same INEC officials that your voting should be confidential between you and the ballot boxes. But when I came in, I saw an INEC official behind the ballot boxes communicating with the electorates,” he claimed.

Olarenwaju described the development as “unacceptable” and called for swift intervention from higher authorities within the electoral commission.

“I am not really happy with this, and I believe this should not be happening in other area councils or wards. I put a call through to the supervisor involved to no avail,” he said.

Despite his concerns, the APGA candidate commended voters at the polling unit for their orderliness.

“As for the people, they are well-coordinated and waiting to exercise their franchise, but I think the problem is from the top, which is the INEC officials,” he added.