FCT council polls get slow start

Three factors, low voter turnout, card reader failure and late arrival of officials signalled the slow take off of the Federal Capital Territory area council polls today in parts of Abuja Municipal Area Council.
At Jikwoyi II/Tokka Village, a major polling unit at the Jikwoyi football field, the card reader malfunctioned frequently, forcing officials to resort to the filling of incidence forms by voters. This caused delay.




Anxious voters spent hours in the queue due to the slow process, added to the fact that officials arrived around 9am, one hour behind schedule.
At some polling units, there was voter apathy, voters feeling that the council polls were not as important as presidential or National Assembly elections.
For example, at Jikwoyi 17-B polling unit, not a single voter had turned up for accreditation as of 10am, though INEC officials were already on their seats.
One official, Mr. William Giade, said, “Some people will ask you, what can council officials do for them?
“This was not the case during the presidential and National Assembly polls when many people came out.
“Even now at some of the units, the card reader is failing. I can tell you that not up to 30 people have been accredited here (Jikwoyi II/Tokka Village).
“It is slow and we don’t know how many voters will be able to vote by 4pm.”