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From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
Voting in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections got off to a chaotic start Saturday, with reports of missing party logos on ballots at key Gwagwalada polling units, as monitored on Nigeria Info 95.1 FM.
At Polling Unit 004 in Demonstration Secondary School, Gwagwalada – one of 21 units at the site – the Social Democratic Party (SDP) logo was conspicuously absent from ballot papers, prompting confusion among voters and agents.
Eyewitness reporter Abayomi, live on the field the reporting, confirmed voting had commenced smoothly elsewhere in the school, with impressive turnout. However, at Unit 004, presiding officer (PO) and INEC staff directed the SDP agent to lodge a formal complaint at the higher authority office, offering no immediate resolution.
“We tried to speak with the PO on why [the SDP logo] is not on the ballot paper, but they asked us to go to the INEC office,” Abayomi reported. The SDP agent remained on site, pressing for answers, as voters expressed frustration over the anomaly. Analysts on air speculated it could be a printing error but warned it might lead to legal challenges, potentially nullifying results from the unit.
The incident unfolded amid broader logistical failures across the FCT. At Life Camp’s FUP Estate polling unit, no INEC officials, tables, chairs, or materials arrived by morning, turning the site into an impromptu gym by voters that had come out, according to field reporter Joy. Voters, including a clergyman and observers, confirmed zero activity.
Heavy military presence at Polo Junction en route to Gwagwalada and Gwarimpa further hampered access to those who are not on election duty, with over eight vehicles blocking roads and restricting movement outside the 6-8 a.m. window. Elsewhere, a voter at Government Day Secondary School, Garki, voters voluntarily brought in chairs for INEC staff after none were provided, highlighting chronic under-preparation despite billions budgeted for the polls.
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