Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room alleges votes traded for ₦10,000 in 2026 FCT Area Council elections, cites late poll openings and BVAS performance

The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has alleged that votes were traded for as much as ₦10,000 during Saturday’s 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

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Addressing journalists in Abuja, co-convener Celestine Odo said that while the elections were largely peaceful, observers recorded instances of vote buying and delayed commencement of voting in several polling units.

According to Odo, reports indicated open vote trading in parts of the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), particularly in Gidan Mangoro Ward, where votes were allegedly exchanged for up to ₦10,000.

He noted that in other locations, the practice was more discreet but still observed.

The group also reported late opening of polls in many areas, with an average commencement time of about 9:15 a.m., attributing delays to the late arrival of officials and materials from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

While some locations, including parts of Kwali Area Council, reportedly began voting on time, late openings were recorded across several polling units in the territory.

On voter turnout, Odo said early hours saw noticeable apathy in parts of AMAC, though participation improved later in Kuje, Kwali, Gwagwalada and Abaji as queues formed.

He added that some voters had difficulty locating their polling units following last-minute relocations, despite receiving text notifications from INEC.

The Situation Room noted that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioned efficiently in most polling units, with accreditation averaging about one minute per voter.

However, isolated cases of malfunction were reported in parts of Gwagwalada and Abuja city centre.

Security presence across the FCT was described as strong and largely professional, though minor incidents of intimidation and disorder were reported in parts of Kuje, Abaji and Gwagwalada.

These were said to have been swiftly contained by security personnel.

The 2026 FCT Area Council elections feature 637 candidates from 17 political parties contesting 68 positions—62 councillorship seats and six chairmanship roles—representing an electorate of 1,680,315 registered voters.

Also read: INEC registers 573,395 new voters as BVAS excels in FCT trial

Despite the reported challenges, the civil society coalition commended INEC’s FCT Help Desk for its responsiveness and urged stakeholders to remain calm as collation of results progresses.