(DDM) – The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, has expressed concern over the low voter turnout recorded in parts of Abuja during the ongoing Area Council elections.
Wike made the remarks while touring selected polling units to assess the conduct of the exercise.
At a polling unit in Karshi, the Minister reportedly met electoral officials present without a significant number of voters on ground.
During his interaction with the officials, Wike asked about the level of participation.
Responding, an ad-hoc official of the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) disclosed that only about 10 percent of registered voters had turned out to cast their ballots at the unit.
Reacting to the update, Wike asked in surprise, “Only 10 percent?”
He further inquired about the scheduled time for vote counting, to which the corps member responded that counting was expected to begin by 2:30 p.m.
Wike reportedly expressed hope that turnout would improve before the close of voting.
The low turnout has become a recurring theme across several polling units in the Federal Capital Territory, with reports indicating reduced voter presence in various districts.
Earlier in the day, Dr. Moses Paul, candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) for the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), attributed the low participation to the movement restriction directive announced ahead of the elections.
The restriction had been imposed to facilitate a smooth voting process across the FCT.
However, critics argued that the directive may have inadvertently created confusion among residents and discouraged participation.
Dr. Paul described the atmosphere as unusual, stating that in his four decades of living in AMAC, he had not witnessed such low engagement during local council elections.
He likened the situation to what he termed a “state of emergency,” suggesting that the restrictions may have been excessive.
Political analysts note that Area Council elections historically attract lower voter turnout compared to general elections, but the current figures have drawn heightened attention due to the scale of the decline reported in some areas.
As voting continues, stakeholders are closely monitoring whether participation will increase before the close of polls and how the final turnout figures may impact the legitimacy and perception of the electoral process.
