The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has accused the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, of interfering in the ongoing Area Council elections in Abuja.
The party describes his presence at polling units as improper and partisan.
In a statement on Saturday, the party faulted what it termed Wike’s movement around various polling centres under the guise of “monitoring”.
They argued that the exercise amounts to direct involvement in the electoral process after he allegedly imposed a curfew on potential voters.
According to the ADC, Wike is not a registered voter in the FCT and, as a serving cabinet minister and known partisan figure, has no constitutional role in the conduct of the elections.
The party maintained that his presence during active voting is “not only vexatious and meddlesome,” but also capable of intimidating voters and electoral officials.
“The ADC has received reports of voter suppression and intimidation in parts of the FCT, including alleged collaboration between APC agents and some security personnel,” the statement said.
“We also note disruptions to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), which has remained inaccessible even as results are being collated. We find this a curious coincidence and call on INEC to urgently restore full IReV functionality, with a clear public explanation of the disruption.
“We urge all our party agents and voters to remain calm but vigilant, and to document all incidents,” ADC said.
