Voter turnout remained low on Saturday at Polling Units 001 and 009 in Galadima, Gwarimpa, within the Federal Capital Territory, where only 18 out of 1,464 registered voters had cast their ballots as of 11:15 a.m. in the ongoing area council elections.
Presiding officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission, who spoke on condition of anonymity, confirmed the development.
Polling Unit 001 has 750 registered voters, while Polling Unit 009 has 714, according to a report by Daily Post. Observations at the centres also indicated sparse voter presence at the time of filing this report.
Speaking after voting, an Abuja resident, Benson Idoko, attributed the low turnout to possible voter disillusionment.
“I don’t know whether it is due to lack of faith in the leadership. Ordinarily, there should be a huge turnout because it is a local election,” he said.
Voting reportedly commenced around 9:00 a.m., with security personnel deployed to maintain order and prevent any breakdown of law and order.
Earlier updates also noted voter apathy in polling units in Dawaki, where some residents expressed dissatisfaction with local government leadership.
In contrast, polling units in Garki recorded relatively higher turnout.