VOTING in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) is progressing under a peaceful atmosphere, though voter turnout remains generally low across several polling units visited in the early hours of the election day.
At the polling unit 076, AMAC, Wuse Zone 4, Blk 53 Suez Close, where the candidate of African Democratic Congress (ADC) Moses Paul, cast his vote, there was a significant low voter turnout.
The presiding officer, Nonye Obianyor, said voters did not turn out, adding that the registered voters at the polling unit was 454 but fewer than 30 have voted as of this time.
However, turnout was described as relatively higher at the polling unit 004, Garki Village, where the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Christopher Maikalangu, cast his vote earlier in the morning.
At Polling Unit 004, Garki II, Garki Village, which has 2,287 registered voters, only 168 voters had been accredited as of 10:38 a.m., indicating a slow turnout.
Similarly, at Polling Unit 035 in Nsukka, Garki Ward, just 20 out of 96 registered voters had been accredited as of 10:18 a.m.
Officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the Nsukka Polling Unit reported a technical issue with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), noting that while the device was not capturing thumbprints, it was successfully verifying voters through facial recognition.
They said no other challenges were recorded.
Low voter’s turnout was also discovered in several polling units in City Centre Ward. The polling units include PU 030, PU 032, PU 028 and PU 027.
At Polling Unit 007, City Centre, National Library, the presiding officer, Mustapha Muhammad, said he was supervising two polling points, but noted that the voter’s turnout was low.
Polling Booth A has 1,105 registered voters, while Booth B has 1,114.
Muhammad noted that turnout had not been impressive as of the time of filing this report but confirmed that the process was orderly, with no major incidents recorded.
In all the polling units observed, palpable calm was observed with security operatives monitoring the process.
NSCDC assures residents of safety
The ICIR reports that security officials assured residents of adequate protection throughout the exercise.
The Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Olushola Odumosu, who spoke with journalists dismissed concerns that heavy security presence or convoys could discourage voters.
“The electoral officials are not complaining of any issues. The voters have also expressed their happiness. Our job is to ensure that there is peace and orderliness. There are no miscreants or political thugs. That’s why we are out to send the right signal to the wrong people to steer clear, because this election is going to be free and fair,” he said.
Responding to questions about whether security convoys might intimidate voters, the commandant added: “You will only be scared if you are a criminal. It is election day – what are you afraid of? The job of security personnel is to protect lives and property. If you are a person of good conscience, you have nothing to worry about. Security men are out to protect the sanctity of the people.”
The ICIR reported that INEC fixed February 21, 2026, for the polls, with over 600 candidates contesting chairmanship, vice chairmanship and councillorship positions.
The election involves 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units. To facilitate the process, INEC deployed 3,345 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
The exercise is taking place across the FCT’s six area councils and 62 political wards, with 68 elective positions up for grabs.
This organisation reports that the exercise, where the APC, ADC, Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and other political parties are battling to win seats, has also been going on smoothly in Kuje, Gwagwalada and other area councils in the nation’s capital.
Mustapha Usman is an investigative journalist with the International Centre for Investigative Reporting. You can easily reach him via: musman@icirnigeria.com. He tweets @UsmanMustapha_M
Zainab Abdulrasaq ia a reporter and a fact-checker with The ICIR. She believes that accountable citizenship starts with an accountable government, which is why she highlights injustice and everyday struggles through her reporting, one story at a time. She adores reading and can be reached via zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org and @blackbookishgirl on Instagram/Medium