The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been accused of failing to deploy the original result sheet to a polling unit in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), a development that reportedly halted voting in the affected area.
The allegation was made by the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) chairmanship candidate in AMAC, Dr Ezeh Onyebuchi Chukwu, who spoke to journalists after casting his vote in Asokoro, Abuja.
Chukwu said at Polling Unit 022 in Durumi, INEC officials allegedly arrived without the original result sheet required to commence voting.
“They said they forgot it in the office, and as I speak to you, they have yet to bring it,” he said, noting that the situation had stalled the voting process at the unit.
He added that party agents, except those of the ruling party, had raised concerns over the development, while security personnel were reportedly relocated from the polling unit to a nearby chief’s palace.
The APGA candidate also alleged cases of voter exclusion in communities around Kagini, where some residents were said to have prevented non-indigenes from voting.
“In some villages close to Kagini, people are being told that if you are not an indigene, you cannot vote there,” he said.
Chukwu further alleged incidents of vote-buying and intimidation in Orozo, claiming that voters were pressured and, in some cases, restricted from moving freely unless they complied.
Despite the reported irregularities, he described the overall situation in parts of Asokoro as calm but expressed concern over the low turnout of voters across polling units.
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“At a polling unit with over 2,800 registered voters, there were not up to 10 voters when I arrived. In many places, officials were present, but voters were absent,” he said.
He attributed the apathy to a broader lack of public interest in local government elections, warning that weak participation at the grassroots could affect governance outcomes at higher levels.
As of the time of filing this report, INEC had yet to respond to the allegations.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
