Our Reporter, Abuja
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) on Saturday condemned what it described as interference in the ongoing polls in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), accusing the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, of attempting to influence the electoral process under the guise of monitoring.
In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, Bolaji Abdullahi, the party criticised Wike’s movement around various polling units in Abuja, saying his presence was inappropriate and capable of undermining the credibility of the exercise.
“The African Democratic Congress strongly condemns the movement of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, around various polling units in Abuja under the guise of ‘monitoring,’” Abdullahi said.
According to him, the minister’s actions followed what he described as the unilateral imposition of a curfew on potential voters, which the party views as a deliberate attempt to suppress participation.
“Wike’s ‘monitoring’ exercise, after unilaterally imposing a curfew on potential voters, represents direct interference in the election. He is not a registered voter in the FCT, and as a known partisan and cabinet minister, Wike has no constitutional role in the election exercise,” the statement read.
The ADC further argued that the minister’s presence at polling units during active voting was “vexatious and meddlesome” and warned that it risked intimidating both voters and election officials.
The party also raised concerns over alleged voter suppression and intimidation in parts of the FCT, claiming there were reports of collaboration between agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and some security personnel.
“In a similar vein, the ADC has received reports of voter suppression and intimidation in parts of the FCT, including alleged collaboration between APC agents and some security personnel,” Abdullahi stated.
Additionally, the opposition party expressed worry over reported disruptions to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which it said had remained inaccessible while collation of results was ongoing.
“We also note disruptions to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which has remained inaccessible even as results are being collated. We find this a curious coincidence and call on INEC to urgently restore full IReV functionality, with a clear public explanation of the disruption,” the ADC spokesman said.
The party urged its agents and supporters to maintain calm while remaining alert.
“We urge all our party agents and voters to remain calm but vigilant, and to document all incidents,” the statement added.
As of press time, there was no official response from the FCT administration or the electoral umpire regarding the allegations.
