A coalition of more than 70 civil society organisations has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure real-time upload of results for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday.
Operating under the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, the group raised concerns about potential risks to voters and the integrity of the ballot, including vote trading, political intimidation, and indigene-settler tensions in certain councils.
In a statement released on Friday, February 20, the coalition highlighted Abuja Municipal Area Council as a high-risk area for vote buying and political interference, while Gwagwalada was flagged for possible communal tensions and political thuggery.
The coalition urged INEC to ensure that Form EC8A results are uploaded in real time to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal and called for a fully functioning Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to prevent delays that marred past local elections.
They also stressed the importance of having trained personnel available to resolve technical issues and warned that polls must open on time to avoid disenfranchisement.
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The group recalled that voter turnout in the 2022 FCT Area Council elections was as low as 5.09 per cent in Abuja Municipal Area Council, attributing low participation partly to public distrust in the transparent transmission of votes.
The coalition also expressed concern over conflicting announcements on movement restrictions ahead of the elections, following FCT Minister Nyesom Wike’s declaration of a work-free day and curfew, which they said contradicted standard police directives for election day.
While commending the deployment of security personnel, the Situation Room urged officers to remain non-partisan, ensure voter protection, prevent vote buying, and facilitate free movement for election officials and observers.
The group encouraged citizens to participate peacefully, resist vote trading, and uphold democratic standards.
The FCT Area Council elections will see voters in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji, and Kwali elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across a total of 68 positions.