The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that vote buying and selling will not be tolerated during Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
The electoral body announced that it has authorised the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to deploy personnel to polling units across the FCT to monitor and arrest anyone involved in vote trading.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the warning during a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja ahead of the polls. He stressed that individuals caught buying or selling votes would be apprehended and prosecuted in line with the law, describing the practice as a serious threat to the credibility of elections and public trust in democracy.
Amupitan noted that the meeting provided an opportunity for frank engagement with stakeholders, adding that credible elections require collective responsibility from all parties involved.
He disclosed that more than 1.68 million registered voters are expected to participate in the election across 2,822 polling units located within the six Area Councils of the FCT—Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
According to him, a total of 570 candidates are contesting for chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship positions, covering 62 wards across the councils. He added that the scale of the election underscored the need for vigilance and cooperation to ensure a successful process.
The INEC chairman also explained that the FCT Area Council election remains the only local government election conducted by the Commission, making it a benchmark for similar polls nationwide. He said the election has continued to strengthen confidence in grassroots democracy and urged stakeholders to uphold high standards ahead of election day.
INEC further revealed that 89 observer groups and 700 journalists from local and international media organisations have been accredited to monitor and report on the election. The Commission also confirmed that upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices would be used at all polling units, with results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal.
The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Aminu Idris, added that the voter register is being re-displayed at polling units to help voters confirm their locations and reduce challenges experienced in previous elections.
Meanwhile, the national chairman of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Chief Sly Ezeokenwa, has urged FCT residents to turn out in large numbers and vote in the election. He described the poll as historic, noting that it is the first local council election following the Supreme Court judgment granting financial autonomy to local governments.
Separately, a pressure group, Opposition Watch Nigeria, has called on the INEC chairman to respond to allegations linking him to an alleged land inducement involving the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory. The group claimed the alleged inducement was aimed at influencing INEC’s handling of internal disputes within a major political party. The Commission has yet to respond publicly to the claims.
