“Process Orderly and Peaceful” – INEC Chairman Reacts to FCT Area Council Elections

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, on Saturday expressed satisfaction with the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, describing the process as orderly, efficient, and peaceful.

Amupitan spoke with newsmen in Abuja after monitoring voting at several polling units within the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

He highlighted the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the level of voter turnout as positive indicators for Nigeria’s democratic process. He also praised the speed of the accreditation process, noting that the BVAS technology had significantly reduced waiting times for voters.

“You can see by yourself that the election is orderly and very efficient. The election is peaceful and those are the indices of a good election.

“So far, the efficiency of the BVAS is high and I am very satisfied because the BVAS are working effectively and efficiently.

“From what I have seen and heard from the presiding officers, it takes about less than five seconds to even accredit a voter.

“So far, I can say that the election is well organised. The election is peaceful from the calm atmosphere you have seen,” Amupitan said.

He also commended voter turnout, attributing it to increased awareness among citizens of the importance of participating in the electoral process.

“You can see a lot of people here and they are conducting themselves well. I learned that there are 30 security personnel that are present here.

“They are also conducting their affairs in an orderly manner. So, we hope that at the close of the poll, we will have a very successful election,” he added.

Addressing an incident involving the alleged harassment of a journalist by security personnel, Amupitan assured that INEC remained committed to the safety of all accredited personnel.

“I am only aware that there was one journalist that was arrested and immediately we intervened.

“The Chief Press Secretary and some people spoke to the police and the person was immediately released unmolested.

“We have taken every measure to ensure that nobody is molested. Accredited journalists and observers are granted access to the places they are supposed to be. We have not withdrawn any accreditation,” he said.

The INEC chairman acknowledged minor hiccups in some areas, particularly delays in the arrival of election materials and ad hoc officials at a few polling units, but noted that the commission was managing the situation.

“As at 10:30 a.m., 99 per cent of polling units across the FCT had successfully opened and the commission was monitoring the situation in real-time from the situation room to ensure all eligible voters were attended to,” he said.

Amupitan pledged that the commission would ensure the votes of Nigerians count in the FCT elections and that lessons learned would improve processes leading to the 2027 general elections.

“The voices of Nigerians will be held this time around. The BVAS, as far as I am concerned, is working very well,” he said.

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