The All Progressives Congress (APC) has taken an early lead in parts of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections, according to results uploaded to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Results Viewing Portal (IReV).
As of 10:15 p.m. on Saturday, figures from surveyed polling units showed the APC ahead in several councils, though the exercise was marred by low turnout and allegations of vote buying.
Early Numbers Across Councils
In Kwali Area Council, the APC polled 2,726 votes, leading the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), which recorded 2,104 votes, while the African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured 180 votes.
In Kuje, the APC led with 615 votes, followed by the PDP with 393 votes. APGA polled 146 votes, ADC 24 votes, and NNPP five votes.
In Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), the APC posted 2,520 votes, ahead of the ADC’s 750 and PDP’s 115 votes.
However, in Gwagwalada, the PDP led with 2,019 votes, while the APC trailed with 1,779 votes and the ADC had 115 votes, reflecting a competitive race across councils.
The elections were conducted to fill six chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats across AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali.
Despite the peaceful atmosphere reported in most centres, voter turnout remained thin. Several polling units recorded single- or double-digit participation out of hundreds of registered voters.
At Polling Unit 006 in AMAC’s City Centre Registration Area, only seven voters had cast ballots by 9:50 a.m., while Kubwa Polling Unit 053 saw just 23 of 464 registered voters accredited.
The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room attributed the low turnout to widespread voter apathy, noting that many residents went about their normal activities during voting hours.
Yiaga Africa also criticised the exercise, citing late commencement of voting and missing materials in some centres. Its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, said such administrative lapses undermined the credibility of the polls.
Observers reported incidents of vote buying, particularly in parts of AMAC. The Situation Room alleged that votes were traded for as much as N10,000 in some polling units in Gidan Mangoro ward.
Operational delays were also recorded in Durumi I and II, where voting reportedly started late and some voters protested the omission of their names from the register.
The ADC accused the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, of interfering in the process by visiting polling units during active voting.
In a statement signed by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party described Wike’s movement around polling centres as “direct interference” capable of intimidating voters.
The party argued that as a cabinet minister and non-registered voter in the FCT, Wike had no constitutional role in the conduct of the elections.
However, Wike’s Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, dismissed the allegations, insisting the minister acted within his constitutional mandate as the FCT’s chief security officer.
He maintained that monitoring the elections did not breach any law and questioned why other public figures moving around polling units were not similarly criticised.
Meanwhile, INEC continued uploading results to the IReV portal as part of its transparency framework.
As of 9:30 p.m., uploads stood at:
AMAC: 1,030 of 1,401 polling units
Kwali: 119 of 201
Kuje: 147 of 262
Gwagwalada: 227 of 338
Bwari: 280 of 485
Abaji: 72 of 135
While the APC appeared to consolidate early gains in parts of AMAC, including Garki and Kpegyi polling units, the PDP and ADC recorded strong performances in select centres, underscoring a tightly contested race.
Final outcomes, however, remain subject to official collation and declaration by INEC.
