‘Direct interference’ — ADC faults Wike’s presence at polling units during FCT council polls

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused Nyesom Wike, minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), of directly interfering in the conduct of Saturday’s area council elections by appearing at multiple polling units across Abuja.

The party said Wike’s presence at the voting units was

inappropriate and capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral

process.

Wike reportedly moved round several polling units in Abuja

during the election, beginning from about 12:15 p.m. at the Karu axis of the

FCT.

In a statement issued on Saturday evening, Bolaji Abdullahi,

national publicity secretary of the ADC, said the minister’s actions amounted

to “direct interference” in the elections, stressing that he had no

constitutional role in the exercise.

According to Abdullahi, Wike’s presence at active voting

locations was “vexatious and meddlesome” and could intimidate both voters and

electoral officials.

The ADC spokesperson also alleged that the minister had

earlier imposed a curfew on potential voters, describing the move as a further

attempt to suppress participation in the election.

“He is not a registered voter in the FCT, and as a known

partisan figure and cabinet minister, he has no constitutional role in the

election exercise,” the statement reads.

He further raised concerns over reports of voter suppression

and intimidation in parts of the FCT, alleging collaboration between agents of

the All Progressives Congress (APC) and some security personnel.

Abdullahi also flagged disruptions to the Independent

National Electoral Commission’s result viewing portal (IReV), noting that the

platform remained inaccessible while collation of results was ongoing.

He described the development as “a curious coincidence” and

called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to immediately

restore full functionality of the portal and provide a public explanation for

the disruption.

He urged ADC agents and supporters to remain calm but

vigilant and to properly document any incidents observed during the electoral

process.

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