Abuja council elections begin gradually amid tight security.
By Dally Iyamu
Polling units across the Federal Capital Territory witnessed a slow but orderly start on Saturday, as accreditation and voting for the Area Council elections began between 8:30 a.m. and 9:30 a.m.
The election, conducted in the six Area Councils, Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Gwagwalada, Bwari, Kuje and Kwali – spans 2,822 polling units across 62 electoral wards, with 1,680,315 registered voters expected to decide six chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats.
President Bola Tinubu’s call for orderly elections, coupled with elaborate security preparations and the efforts of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), appeared to have significantly reduced the risk of unrest in flashpoint areas.
Security concerns had earlier been raised during the February 10, 2026 meeting between the National Peace Committee (NPC) and INEC. Areas identified as potential hotspots included AMAC city centre, Gwagwalada, Bwari and Kwali, with fears ranging from political thuggery and indigene-settler tensions to farmer-herder clashes and cross-border security threats.
Despite the initial apprehension, voting proceeded peacefully across all six councils.
The restriction on unauthorised movement of persons and vehicles was strictly enforced.
At the University of Abuja Staff Quarters in Gwagwalada, voter registers were displayed as early as 8:25 a.m. for verification. In Bwari’s Dutse ward at Dawaki LEA Primary School, INEC officials were on ground by 9:00 a.m., although voter turnout was yet to pick up.
Similarly, at Fogne Primary School in Ashara ward of Kwali Area Council, accreditation and voting commenced at about 8:45 a.m.
However, an unexpected development was the scanty presence of party agents at several polling units.
At Polling Units 038, 004, 041, 026, 001 and 025 around Life Camp in AMAC, officials were ready by 8:45 a.m., but only one party agent was sighted at Polling Unit 041.
In some cases, individuals were subsequently drafted in to serve as party agents without proper identification cards or party tags.
Security personnel maintained visible presence across the territory, while INEC appeared operationally prepared.
Nonetheless, some voters expressed lingering concerns over the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines deployed across all 2,822 polling units.
