A civil society organisation, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, says it will deploy observers for the Saturday Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections.
The Convener of the group, Yunusa Ya’u stated this at a news conference on Friday in Abuja.
Ya’u, whose speech was read by the Co-convener, Celestine Odo, said that the election would cover 62 electoral wards and 2,822 polling units, with 1,680,315 registered voters expected to elect six chairmen and 62 councillors.
‘The Situation Room will rely on reports from 68 accredited observers, partner organisations and its election reporting app, while member-groups, including Kimpact Development Initiative and CLEEN Foundation, will also deploy observers.
‘The poll is significant because it is the only local government election conducted directly by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
‘However, we are concerned about the legal framework guiding elections, particularly the absence of mandatory real-time electronic transmission of results’, he said.
Although Ya’u noted that the pre-election atmosphere was calm, it, nevertheless, expressed concern about persistent voter apathy, especially in the Abuja Municipal Area Council where turnout stood at just 5.09 per cent in the 2022 elections.
He also expressed confusion over the declaration of a work-free day and the restriction of movement from 8 p.m. on Friday to 6 p.m. on Saturday, which it said contradicted the police’s traditional election-day movement restriction from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m.
The convener raised the alarm over allegations of vote buying and intimidation in AMAC, indigene-settler tensions and political thuggery in Gwagwalada, farmer-herder conflicts and kidnapping threats in Bwari, and cross-border security pressures in Kwali.
He urged security agencies to remain professional and non-partisan, stressing that their presence should deter criminal activities without discouraging voters.
On election administration, Ya’u acknowledged INEC’s deployment of BVAS to all polling units but emphasised the need for real-time upload of polling unit results to the IReV portal, timely opening of polls and rapid response to technical challenges.
He called on residents to participate peacefully in the election but warned against vote trading, even as he urged all stakeholders to uphold democratic standards throughout the process.
‘Situation Room calls on all eligible voters to come out and exercise their civic duty peacefully. We wish to remind all FCT residents that vote trading is illegal and undermines the development of our democracy.
‘Voters must resist the temptation to exchange their votes for money or other inducements, as their future welfare depends on the choices they make.
‘We enjoin all stakeholders to approach this election with a sense of responsibility and utmost respect for democratic standards’, he stated.
Meanwhile in another development, the group decried that the new Electoral Act, saying it failed to address critical gaps regarding the mandatory electronic transmission of election results.
