FCT poll: Voters cry out as ward delineation disenfranchises hundreds in Bwari

For many voters in the Federal Capital Territory, the council elections held on Saturday, February 2026, turned into a frustrating experience, as recent ward and polling unit delineation by the Independent National Electoral Commission left hundreds unable to vote.

Across Byaizin, Dutse-pe Market, Dutse Alhaji, and Army Estate in Bwari Area Council, thousands of registered voters were seen loitering around former polling units, clutching their Permanent Voter Cards, but unable to locate their new voting centres.

At several locations, turnout remained abysmally low despite large voter populations, with many residents blaming confusion arising from changes in ward boundaries and polling unit realignments.

Some voters told our correspondent that they arrived early at their usual polling units, only to be informed that their names had been transferred to newly created units, often located several kilometres away, with no clear directions on how to find them.

Others said they were unaware of any changes to their registration details and only learnt of the new arrangements on election day, leaving them stranded and ultimately discouraged from voting.

At Maitama I and II Primary School, Polling Unit 006, Area Code 009, Kubwa village, Bwari, dozens of voters were seen waiting idly after failing to locate their names on the register, while young people, in particular, expressed frustration over what they described as poor communication by electoral officials.

Although the elections across the FCT were largely peaceful and orderly, the confusion triggered by the delineation exercise emerged as a dominant feature in several communities, significantly dampening voter participation.

Background

The confusion and voter apathy recorded across parts of Bwari are largely linked to the recent ward and polling unit delineation exercise carried out by the Independent National Electoral Commission.

The exercise, aimed at decongesting overcrowded polling units and improving access to voting centres in line with population growth, resulted in the creation of new wards and the restructuring of existing polling units across the Federal Capital Territory.

However, inadequate public sensitisation, limited grassroots engagement, and late dissemination of updated voter information meant that many residents remained unaware of changes to their polling locations, ward boundaries, and registration status.

Several voters said they only discovered that their polling units had been relocated on election day, with some directed to distant locations without official transport support or clear guidance.

Observers and party agents attributed the low turnout recorded in Bwari largely to gaps in voter education, warning that while the technical objectives of the delineation may have been sound, the lack of effective public communication undermined its impact.

They stressed the need for sustained voter education campaigns, early dissemination of polling unit information, and closer engagement with community leaders to prevent similar occurrences in future elections.