The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election, held on Saturday, was characterized by significant delays, widespread low voter turnout, and numerous logistical challenges across its six area councils: Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kwali, Kuje, and Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). Despite assurances from electoral bodies and a heavy security presence, the exercise faced criticism from residents and political candidates alike.

Voting, which was officially scheduled to commence at 8:30 a.m., did not begin on time in many polling stations, with some experiencing delays of more than an hour. Polling Unit 067 in Area 2, City Centre, for instance, had not commenced voting by 9:23 a.m. due to the absence of a canopy. Similar delays were reported across City Centre, Areas 1 and 2, Wuse, and Garki, often attributed to logistical challenges, including late arrival of officials and materials. Some ad-hoc staff even reported getting lost en route to their designated polling units.

A major contributing factor to the low turnout was the FCT Minister Nyesom Wike's order restricting movement across Nigeria’s capital city from 8 p.m. on Friday to 6 p.m. on Saturday. While intended to ensure a peaceful process, many residents and candidates, including Dr. Moses Paul of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), blamed the directive for creating confusion and discouraging participation. Paul described the situation as akin to a “state of emergency,” noting that turnout was far lower than expected. The restriction was observed in some areas but ignored in others. Human rights activist Omoyele Sowore further attributed the low turnout to a general loss of confidence and trust in the electoral process, compounded by the newly signed Electoral Act Amendment Bill.

Logistical hurdles extended to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines. While INEC Chairperson Joash Amupitan affirmed the efficiency and reliability of BVAS for accreditation and electronic result transmission, intermittent malfunctions were reported. At Polling Unit 035 in Garki, officials relied on facial recognition due to fingerprint scanner issues. In Kwali, some polling units, like Bako Primary School, experienced delays because officials arrived with the wrong BVAS machines, while at the Federal Staff Clinic Polling Unit in Gwarinpa, voters were reportedly blocked from casting ballots due to a malfunctioning accreditation machine. At Ungwan Boys in Kuje, three voters could not be accredited after multiple failed BVAS attempts.

Voter confusion was also rampant, with many residents struggling to locate their designated polling units. This issue, along with missing names on registers—sometimes due to heavily populated units being divided—led to frustration and potential disenfranchisement. In Kubwa, some polling units saw no INEC officials hours after the scheduled start, leading to agitated voters waiting on roadsides.

Security measures were stringent, with armed personnel deployed at strategic junctions and polling units, enforcing movement restrictions and conducting stop-and-search operations. The FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, redeployed Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) to enhance operational effectiveness, while NSCDC Commandant Olusola Odumosu cautioned operatives against voter harassment and partisan behavior. Despite these efforts, the atmosphere remained tense in early hours. A young lady was apprehended in Kabusa with 20 voters' cards, and an incident at Liberty Junction, Kubwa, saw police arresting a mechanic for alleged possession of military camouflage, further disrupting movement.

Allegations of vote-buying surfaced in Gwagwalada Area Council, with PDP and YPP agents claiming cash inducements ranging from N500 to N5,000 were being offered to sway voters. A voter at Kutunku I Primary School openly admitted to receiving N5,000 from an individual identified as Usman Nga’aha and N2,000 from the PDP. EFCC officials were reportedly monitoring voting units in areas like Lugbe to curb such practices. The APC agent in Gwagwalada, Hamidu Gimba, denied these allegations, while the Presiding Officer there also denied claims of non-serial issuance of ballot papers.

Official reactions to the low turnout varied. Minister Nyesom Wike expressed lamentation after observing only about a 10 percent voter turnout at a Karshi polling unit. However, the Chairperson of the Bwari Area Council, John Gabaya, remained optimistic about a hitch-free and successful election, despite the low participation. Joash Amupitan, the INEC Chairperson, praised the timely deployment of materials and the peaceful conduct of the polls, assuring residents that results would be electronically transmitted to the IReV portal, a process he noted complied with existing laws. He also highlighted the historic first-time deployment of INEC’s Electronic Collation System (E-Collation) using the electronic EC88A form, aimed at strengthening transparency in results management.

Election observers, including “Your Votes Is Your Voice Africa,” commended BVAS performance and the peaceful atmosphere but noted concerns over businesses operating during voting hours, which contributed to low turnout. The Electoral Hub emphasized the FCT election’s unique significance as the only local government election conducted by INEC, viewing it as a critical reference point for strengthening grassroots electoral governance nationwide, especially with the new E-Collation system.

As voting concluded by 2:30 p.m. in many units, results began to trickle in. The African Democratic Congress (ADC) secured its first victory at Polling Unit 076, Sani Abacha Estate, Wuse Zone 4, where its AMAC candidate, Dr. Moses Paul, cast his ballot, polling 7 out of 10 votes against APC’s 2. The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) took the lead at Polling Unit 04, Prison Command in Kuje Area Council, with 22 votes to APC's 17 and ADC's 5. PDP also led at Polling Unit 04, Wowo Primary School, Kuje, securing 38 votes to APC’s 28. In Bwari Area Council, early results from Ushafa polling units showed varying outcomes for ZLP, APC, and PDP candidates for Chairman and Councillor. The incumbent AMAC chairman and APC candidate, Christopher Maikalangu, seeking re-election, cast his vote at Polling Unit 004 Garki Village, which saw an approximately 11 percent voter turnout (252 accredited voters out of 2,287 registered). In one significant incident, voting at Fuka Village, Kwali Area Council, did not take place due to protests over discrepancies in the voter register, leading officials to leave the unit for security reasons.