Voting at the Durumi II Polling Unit in the Abuja Municipal Area Council was overshadowed by complaints of missing names and allegations of poor coordination during Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election.
Although the polling unit recorded a large turnout of voters, several prospective voters were unable to find their names on the voter register pasted on the wall for accreditation and verification.
On-the-spot checks revealed that names beginning with the letters C, E, H and I were absent from the displayed register. A verification by our correspondent also confirmed that entries under those alphabetical categories were not visible on the list.
One of the affected voters, Chidi Uchechi, voiced his frustration over the omission.
“I didn’t see my name there. Names beginning with C aren’t on the register pasted here,” he said.
Another voter, who also claimed to have been disenfranchised, alleged possible manipulation of the process.
“These INEC officials know what they are doing. Why will some names be omitted? Maybe they want the election to be rigged,” the voter said.
Beyond the concerns over missing names, tension briefly flared at the polling unit as some voters and party agents protested what they described as poor coordination of the voting process.
Party agents were observed engaging in heated exchanges over the management and conduct of the exercise, raising fears that the situation could disrupt an otherwise peaceful poll if not swiftly addressed.
