- Safiu Kehinde
Election monitoring group, YIAGA Africa, has released a preliminary report on the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Council Election.
The group had reportedly deployed its officials across the 62 wards in the FCT with a mandate of observing key aspects of the voting process, including opening procedures, accreditation, voting, and counting.
Following the election, YIAGA, in its four-page issued on Saturday signed by its Executive Director, Samson Itodo, and Director of Programmes, Cynthia Mbamalu, disclosed deploying its officials to Ward and Area Councils coalition centres to observe the result coalition process.
YIAGA, in its general assessment, commended the peaceful conduct of the election and absence of disruption.
It however decried the low voters’ turnout as well as the late arrival of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officials at their polling units especially at the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
This, as contained in the group’s preliminary findings, resulted to late opening of polling units.
According to YIAGA, set-up activities were still ongoing at most polling units around 9am as against the 8:30am stipulated for the commencement of election.
Across sampled polling units, accreditation and voting commenced at approximately 10am.
“As of 9:00 a.m., set-up activities were still ongoing in the majority of polling units observed, indicating that essential preparatory procedures had not been completed within the timeframe prescribed by electoral guidelines.
“In the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), particularly in Wuse and Gwarinpa wards, several polling units opened significantly behind schedule.
“Observers noted that polling officials were still arranging materials and organizing the voting environment as at 9:00 a.m., with accreditation and voting commencing only after 10:00 a.m.
“On average, across the sampled polling units observed, accreditation and voting began at approximately 10:00 a.m.” The report read.
Meanwhile, some polling units were reported to have closed before the official 2:30pm stipulated by INEC.
Others waited till the last person on the queue voted before closing the poll.
YIAGA also noted absence of some electoral materials in some polling units.
“In Polling Unit 004, Wuse Ward, Zone 2 Primary School, the voter register was not initially available and was only produced after observers raised concerns and voters objected.
“In addition, essential voting materials were absent in certain locations. Voting cubicles were not observed in PU002 (Ward 09), PU006 (Ward01), and PU012 (Ward 10) in Abaji Area Council.
“Furthermore, an ink pad required for the voting process was reportedly missing in one polling unit observed.” The group wrote.
While acknowledging INEC’s effort to notify voters redistributed to new polling units via SMS, YIAGA held that
many of these messages were delivered on Election Day, with some received hours after polling
had already commenced.
This, according to the group generated confusion at several polling locations, as numerous voters spent over an hour attempting to ascertain their designated polling units.
“In multiple instances, this administrative shortcoming contributed to congestion and overcrowding, thereby undermining orderly queue management and potentially discouraging voter participation.” It said.
On vote buying, YIAGA noted that the menace was largely in play across several polling units despite INEC’s assurance of curtailing the menace.
“The persistent menace of vote buying once again manifested during the election.
“Yiaga Africa observers documented incidents of vote buying at polling units, underscoring the continued vulnerability of the electoral process to monetary inducement.
“Despite prior assurances and directives issued by INEC to security agencies to identify and apprehend both vote buyers and sellers, these illicit practices reportedly continued in several locations.” The report read.
The group also faulted heavy security presence in some locations, alleging that it created barriers for citizens attempting to access polling units to exercise their right to vote while also impeded the movement of accredited election observers and restricted access to polling units.
Coupled with its call for transmission of all results to IReV and collation of results with the highest standard of integrity, transparency and professionalism, YIAGA charged INEC to undertake a comprehensive nationwide public engagement campaign to clearly communicate the redeployment of voters to newly created polling units.
This, according to the group, should include timely voter education, accessible verification tools.
YIAGA also called on security agencies to ensure that their personnel conduct themselves with the highest level of professionalism and maintain strict impartiality during the other aspected of the elections, especially, at the collation centres.
Their role, the group maintained, should be limited to safeguarding voters, election officials, and materials.
It charged them to refrain from any actions that could compromise the integrity, transparency, or credibility of the election.
YIAGA lastly called on political parties, candidates and their supporters to refrain from disrupting
the process and attempts to undermine the elections.