The Federal Capital Territory Minister Nyesom Wike has been accused by the African Democratic Congress (ADC) of meddling in the current Area Council elections in Abuja.
The party criticized Wike for moving around several voting stations in the FCT under what it called “monitoring,” according to a statement signed by Bolaji Abdullahi, its national publicity secretary.
The ADC claimed that the minister had engaged in direct meddling with the election process.
The party maintained that Wike had no constitutional role in the election’s conduct because he is a well-known partisan and cabinet minister.
In addition, it claimed that he is not a voter in the Federal Capital Territory and that his presence at polling places runs the risk of frightening both voters and election officials.
The statement said, “Wike’s’monitoring’ exercise, after unilaterally imposing a curfew on potential voters, represents direct interference in the election.”
The minister’s attendance during the voting process was deemed “vexatious and meddlesome” by the ADC.
The party also claimed that certain security guards were working with governing party agents to suppress and intimidate voters in various areas of the Federal Capital Territory.
Concerns were also expressed over interruptions to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which it claimed was unavailable while results were being compiled.
The party declared, “We find this to be a curious coincidence and call on INEC to restore full IReV functionality as soon as possible, with a clear public explanation of the disruption.”
Throughout the procedure, the ADC asked its party representatives and supporters to maintain composure while exercising caution.
It recommended that they meticulously record any anomalies or occurrences that were noticed at polling places throughout the FCT.
The party reaffirmed its dedication to upholding what it called the electoral process’s sanctity.
