News Editor
…Only 5% Voters turned out at some polling units, Citizens blame corruption, rumors of violence for low turnout
The just concluded area council election in the Federal Capital Territory FCT has was marred by low turnout of voters, vote buying and technical hitches, TMSnews field correspondents have observed.
At some polling units in Bwari area council of the FCT, only 5% registered voters turned out to cast their votes while party agents and loyalists were seen inducing voters with money as low as N500 naira in some polling units in the council.
At the Jamb headquarters polling units A and B, party agents from one of the two major political parties were seen inducing voters mostly women to vote for their party by offering them cash. Some got as low as N500 to cask their votes.
At the Dutse Makaranta polling units, some women told our correspondent that they won’t vote untill they are given money by party officials
Low turnout of voters was observed in most polling units in Bwari area council, a scenario citizens blamed on corruption and misgovernace and rumor of violence. Voters at polling unit 007, FCDA Kubwa said the low turnout was due to rumors that went round the city that there was going to be violence during the poll.
Some registered voters who were seen going about their businesses blamed bad leadership and corruption as reasons for refusing to go cast their votes. They said they would rather spend their time doing their businesses than on voting for leaders they claimed won’t give them dividends of democracy.
“We have been voting for many years yet no any change, I cannot go and waste my time to vote for anyone.” A registered voter who gave her name as Serah told TMSnews
INEC officials struggled with the data capturing device at some polling units in the council. At polling unit 003 Ushafa Ward, the capturing device malfunctioned, leading to a slow process at the unit.
The area council election will see to the emergence of six chairmen – one for each area council, and 62 councillors.
Over 400 candidates and their running mates are vying for these positions.
They are drawn from 14 political parties cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to participate in the poll.
Over 1.3 million voters were officially expected to vote across 2,229 polling units in the FCT.
INEC had said elections will not hold in 593 polling units as they had no registered voters.
