1.6m FCT voters to elect 6 council chairmen, 62 councillors tomorrow

A total of 1,680,315 registered voters in the Federal Capital Territory are expected to cast their ballots across 2,822 polling units tomorrow to elect six chairmen and 62 councillors. Abuja Metro reports that 570 candidates are vying for the positions of Chairman and Vice-Chairman across the six Area Councils, as well as the 62 councillorship […]

A total of 1,680,315 registered voters in the Federal Capital Territory are expected to cast their ballots across 2,822 polling units tomorrow to elect six chairmen and 62 councillors.

Abuja Metro reports that 570 candidates are vying for the positions of Chairman and Vice-Chairman across the six Area Councils, as well as the 62 councillorship seats. 

These seats are distributed among 10 wards each in five of the Area Councils and 12 wards in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

The contestants represent 17 political parties cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). 

The participating parties include, Accord (A), Action Alliance (AA), African Action Congress (AAC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Action Democratic Party (ADP), All Progressives Congress (APC), All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA), Allied Peoples Movement (APM), Action Peoples Party (APP), Boot Party (BP), New Nigeria Peoples Party (NNPP), National Rescue Movement (NRM), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Social Democratic Party (SDP), Young Progressives Party (YPP), Peoples Redemption Party (PRP), and Zenith Labour Party (ZLP).

The Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed these figures during a stakeholders’ meeting ahead of the polls. 

He confirmed that the election will involve the territory’s 1,680,315 registered voters across the six Area Councils of Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.

Prof. Amupitan added that 106,099 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were collected during the distribution exercise which ended on February 10, reflecting strong voter interest. 

According to the Chairman, the commission has accredited 89 observer groups and 700 journalists from 72 media organizations to monitor and cover the exercise.

Regarding personnel, Amupitan stated that 11,873 polling unit officials will be deployed, supported by 282 supervisory presiding officers, 68 LGA/RA supervisors and monitors, 68 RAC managers, 208 technical support staff and 192 collation officers.

He further disclosed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be utilized in all polling units.

 For logistics, the commission has arranged 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles, and 14 boats to ensure the timely delivery of materials.

 

Police restrict movement from 6am to 6pm

The FCT Police Command has announced a restriction of both human and vehicular movement from 6am to 6pm tomorrow for the Area Council elections in the territory.

This was contained in a statement released late Wednesday in Abuja by the command’s Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh. 

Adeh noted that only individuals on essential duties and election-related assignments are exempted from the restriction order.

She also confirmed that the command has deployed personnel across the FCT to ensure a hitch-free exercise. 

According to her, the massive deployment has benefited from a robust exchange of operations and human resources from sister security agencies.

“Agencies involved in the deployment include the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), among others,” she said.

She quoted the FCT Commissioner of Police (CP), Miller Dantawaye, as urging the deployed officers to maintain the highest level of professionalism. 

Dantawaye enjoined the officers to ensure adequate security coverage at all polling units and collation centers to guarantee a free, fair, and peaceful electoral process.