FCT poll: Late start disrupts voting in Jikwoyi PU

Voting began behind schedule at Polling Unit 014 located at L.E.A Primary School, Jikwoyi during the ongoing Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, following logistical and administrative delays.

As of 9:21 a.m., accreditation and voting had yet to commence despite the official start time of 8:30 a.m. Early-arriving voters were seen waiting while electoral officials worked to resolve documentation issues and manage crowd control.

Speaking to journalists, Mr. Akpam Patrick, an official at the polling unit in Jikwoyi, attributed the delay to staffing pressure caused by the large number of registered voters.

He explained that while officials were present, the volume of voters had made operations difficult, noting that more than 2,000 people were registered at the unit. According to him, the process of pasting and organising the voters’ register consumed significant time.

Patrick said officials were making efforts to begin the exercise as quickly as possible and assured voters that the process would proceed once preparations were completed.

Another official, Mr. Muhammed Zakari, identified as APO1, said part of the delay resulted from attempts to decongest the polling area, particularly involving voters who had changed their polling units and needed to confirm their names before accreditation.

Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission maintained that steps were being taken to address the challenges and commence voting promptly.