The recent Area Council elections in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), have been marred by controversy surrounding the actions of FCT Minister Nyesom Wike, widespread low voter turnout, and numerous logistical challenges. Human rights lawyer Inibehe Effiong and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) have vehemently criticised Minister Wike for his alleged partisan involvement and supervision of the electoral process, which they deem improper and unconstitutional.

Minister Wike was observed monitoring the elections across various polling units in Abuja on Saturday, interacting with stakeholders amid tight security. However, his presence quickly drew fire from critics. Inibehe Effiong, in a post on X, questioned Wike's authority, pointing out that the minister is not a registered voter in the FCT, but rather in Rivers State. Effiong emphasized that the conduct and supervision of elections are the exclusive responsibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), not the FCT Minister. He further argued that even if Wike were acting as a political party agent, his authority would be limited to a specific polling unit or collation centre, not across the entire territory. Effiong accused the minister of partisanship, highlighting the restriction of movement imposed during the election.

Echoing these concerns, the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused Minister Wike of direct interference, alleging that his movement across polling centres was capable of intimidating voters and election officials. The party's National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, described Wike’s actions as "vexatious and meddlesome," asserting that as a serving cabinet minister with partisan affiliations and not a registered FCT voter, he holds no constitutional role in overseeing the elections. The ADC also claimed Wike's tour followed a "unilateral curfew" imposed on potential voters, raising serious questions about neutrality and fairness.

A central theme of the elections was the alarmingly low voter turnout. Minister Wike himself expressed dismay, noting at a polling unit in Karshi that only about 10 percent of registered voters had participated. Former Kaduna Central senator, Shehu Sani, commented on the apparent apathy of Abuja residents, suggesting many were primarily waiting for movement restrictions to be lifted to resume their daily businesses. The low turnout was also observed in bye-elections in Kano and Rivers States.

Several factors were blamed for the poor participation, including the restriction of movement imposed ahead of the elections. Many residents expressed confusion over the curfew, with some opting to stay home to avoid issues with security agents. This created an atmosphere of fear, further exacerbated by a heavy security presence, which, while intended to ensure peace, also impeded movement and discouraged voters. SaharaReporters detailed incidents like the arrest of a mechanic at Liberty Junction in Byazhin, Kubwa, by armed policemen enforcing movement restrictions.

Civic organisation Yiaga Africa provided a comprehensive preliminary assessment, describing the overall process as largely peaceful but raising significant concerns over logistical lapses and irregularities. Their observers noted widespread delays in the commencement of voting, particularly in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), where many polling units opened significantly behind schedule, often after 10:00 a.m. Critical materials like voter registers and voting cubicles were reportedly missing in some locations.

Yiaga Africa also highlighted confusion stemming from inadequate communication regarding the redistribution of voters to newly created polling units. Many SMS notifications about redeployments were delivered on election day, leading to voters spending considerable time locating their designated units, causing congestion and potentially deterring participation. Disparities in voter distribution within the same polling locations also raised concerns about INEC’s framework. The group further reported incidents of polling units closing before the official 2:30 p.m. closing time, despite guidelines requiring them to remain open.

Security deployment, while heavy in some areas, was criticised for impeding the movement of accredited observers and restricting voter access. Furthermore, Yiaga Africa documented incidents of vote-buying, despite INEC's prior assurances and directives to security agencies. The ADC also raised concerns over disruptions to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which remained inaccessible during collation, prompting calls for its immediate restoration and a public explanation.

In response to these issues, Yiaga Africa urged INEC to ensure transparency by posting Form EC60E (People’s Results Sheet) at polling units and using BVAS devices to upload results to the IReV portal. They called for collation and declaration of results with the highest standards of integrity, transparency, and professionalism. Recommendations included a nationwide public engagement campaign for voter redeployments, timely voter education, and accessible verification tools. Security agencies were advised to maintain professionalism and impartiality, while political parties and candidates were urged to refrain from actions undermining the electoral process.