The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has denied claims that voters were migrated to new polling units during Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
In a statement signed by its Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, the Commission stated categorically that no voter was moved from their original polling unit.
INEC explained that what it implemented ahead of Saturday’s election was the creation of split polling units in locations with more than 1,250 registered voters in order to reduce congestion on election day.
According to the Commission, the split units were situated only a few meters away from the original polling units within the same premises.
The Commission recalled that it displayed the Register of Voters at designated centres and split polling units four days before the election to enable voters confirm their details and polling unit locations.
It also disclosed that text messages and emails were sent to affected voters between February 18 and February 21 as reminders indicating the locations of their split polling units.
INEC acknowledged that some voters experienced challenges locating their designated polling units on election day. According to its Election Operations Dashboard, 45 per cent of polling units had opened as of 8:30am, while all units were confirmed open by 10:00am.
While expressing concern over voter apathy, the Commission noted an improvement in turnout compared to the 2022 Area Council elections. It said over 239,210 voters participated in the 2026 poll, representing about 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT, compared to 148,685 voters or 9.4 per cent recorded in 2022.
The Commission further explained that the delay in announcing results for Kuje Area Council, which were declared at 3:30pm on Sunday, was due to the difficult terrain of Kabi ward that slowed final collation.
INEC appreciated residents of the FCT for their peaceful conduct and cooperation throughout the electoral process.
