FCT polls: Voter apathy, vote buying reported in Kuje

… Anti-corruption agencies missing, observers lament

From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja

Election Observers have expressed deep concerns over the level of disturbing voter apathy that greeted the ongoing Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections in Kuje.

Some of them told newsmen that it is as bad as 50 voters turning out in some polling unit with over one thousand registrants.

The observers equally lamented the level of vote buying and selling going on in many parts of polling units around Kuje Area Council, claiming that particular political party was directly or indirectly involved in the menace.

They however commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the near perfect functionality of the technology like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).

“So far, we will say that we are satisfied with the early arrival of materials and electoral officials. To a large extent, the BVAS has functioned very well. However, some voters complained about their names missing in the voters register.
“We also noticed serious voter apathy to the extent that there were only 50 electorate at a polling unit with over a thousand registered voters,” the observers complained.

Our correspondent who visited many polling stations, particularly Kayada Primary school and other areas can report that incidences of vote buying and selling were done with impunity especially as there were no anti-corruption agencies on ground to arrest culprits.

Many youths, elderly women and men were seen converging various collection points, soliciting and getting rewards to vote candidates of a particular political party.

It was a case of sharing as small as N2000 to N3000 to willing voters with their voter cards that guaranteed the agents of their votes.