MORE PEOPLE CAME OUT TO VOTE!

The just-concluded FCT Area Council election was not without mild and not-so-mild drama.

The voting was concluded at the stipulated time, and the paper ballot was being counted, when a female voter showed up requesting to vote. The election officers and party agents had initially dismissed her as joking. Her insistence made the uniformed security personnel stationed at PU 051 respond to her effectively, letting her know that she could not vote because the time for voting had passed. She responded, “I have my voter’s card here, and you people want to disenfranchise me”. “Madam you did not come in time”. “Nobody is disenfranchising you”  were the responses from both the NSCDC lady officer and a party agent.

The lady who appeared ready to be disruptive was then ignored, removing the possibility of triggering further action from her.

Meanwhile, INEC has reported a marginal increase in voters turn out compared to the 2022 election.

According to The Cable, a statement issued on Sunday said that Wilfred Ifogah, INEC’s acting director of voter education and publicity, said the turnout reflected a notable improvement compared to the 2022 FCT area council polls.

“For last Saturday’s elections, 1.68 million voters were registered, up from 1.58 million in 2022—an increase of about 100,000 voters, representing a 6.3 per cent growth in the register.”

Ifogah said out of the 1.68 million registered voters in 2026, 239,210 cast their ballots, resulting in 14.2 percent voter turnout.

In contrast, 148,685 voters participated in the 2022 election, representing 9.4 percent of the 1.58 million registered voters at the time.

The figures indicate a 90,510 increase in the number of voters who turned out in 2026 — a 61 percent rise in actual participation compared to 2022.

Despite the increase, participation remains relatively low, with more than 85 percent of registered voters abstaining in 2026.

While the 2026 figures suggest improved voter turnout relative to the last FCT area council polls, it raises concerns of voter apathy in the nation’s elections.