Yiaga Africa has released its preliminary report on the 2026 Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections held on Saturday, highlighting low voter turnout and logistical shortcomings despite a largely peaceful process.
Nigerian Newssphere reports that the Independent National Electoral Commission conducted elections for Chairmanship positions across the six Area Councils of the FCT and 62 Councillorship seats.
Yiaga Africa said it deployed trained and accredited roving observers across the 62 wards of the FCT to systematically monitor the exercise. According to the group, its observers were on the ground as early as 7:30 a.m., covering key stages of the process, including opening procedures, accreditation, voting, and counting.
The organization noted that voting took place in a generally calm atmosphere, with voters who turned up allowed to cast their ballots without widespread disruption. However, it observed that turnout was generally low across most polling units.
The group also reported that logistical challenges delayed the commencement of voting in several locations, particularly within the Abuja Municipal Area Council. In areas such as Wuse and Gwarinpa wards, polling units reportedly opened behind schedule, with accreditation and voting in many instances beginning around 10:00 a.m. instead of the stipulated time.
As of 9:00 a.m., Yiaga Africa said setup activities were still ongoing in many polling units observed, indicating that preparatory procedures were not completed within the timeframe prescribed by electoral guidelines.
While essential materials such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices and voter registers were generally deployed, the group cited isolated cases of lapses. In Polling Unit 004, Wuse Ward, Zone 2 Primary School, the voter register was initially unavailable and only produced after concerns were raised by observers and voters. Voting cubicles were also reportedly absent in some polling units in Abaji Area Council, and an ink pad required for voting was missing in one location.
Yiaga Africa further raised concerns over the relocation of certain polling units and inadequate communication to voters. Although INEC reportedly sent SMS notifications to affected voters, many messages were delivered on Election Day, sometimes hours after polling had commenced. The development caused confusion, with some voters spending extended periods trying to identify their designated polling units.
The report also highlighted disparities in voter distribution within the same polling locations, raising questions about the effectiveness of the Commission’s polling unit expansion and voter redistribution framework.
Observers documented instances where some polling units closed before the official 2:30 p.m. deadline, contrary to guidelines requiring units to remain open until the stipulated time or until the last person on the queue has voted.
