FCT Voter Apathy Due To Distrust In Political Class – Observers

Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)-accredited domestic election observer groups have blamed the low turnout recorded in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections on growing distrust in Nigeria’s political class.

The observers said voters stayed away from the polls because they no longer have confidence in political actors and their style of governance.

In a joint statement signed by the group leader, Rev. Harvest Okiroro Ighewho, and secretary, Rev. Justin C. Ogwuegbe, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Monday, the groups described the turnout as poor across polling units monitored.

“The entire exercise recorded poor voter turnout. The voters’ apathy is largely due to the lack of voters’ trust in our political class,” the statement read.

The groups urged politicians to rebuild confidence by embracing people-oriented governance and representing their constituents diligently.

The observers, who monitored the exercise in the 10 wards in Bwari Area Council, however, commended INEC for what they described as a largely peaceful and well-coordinated poll.

They said the deployment of both sensitive and non-sensitive materials was timely, enabling accreditation and voting to commence at 8.30 am as scheduled in most polling units.

“By 2.30pm in most of the polling units, counting of votes was concluded without hitches,” the group stated.

The observers also praised the conduct of INEC officials and ad-hoc staff, particularly members of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) engaged for the exercise, describing their performance as professional and seamless.

On security, the groups lauded the synergy among the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other agencies, noting that their collaboration ensured a peaceful atmosphere.

However, they pointed to scanty security presence on Dutse–Bwari Road between midnight and 5 am on the night of the result collation.

The observers further commended political parties and their candidates for conducting coordinated campaigns and sensitisation, while urging them to sustain issue-based politics.