Yiaga Africa, a non-profit election observer group, has accused Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of disrupting the February 21 Area Council election in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) by reallocating voters to new polling units without adequate prior notification.
Cynthia Mbamalu, the group’s Director of Programmes, stated in an interview on Arise Television that the failure to inform voters of their new polling stations led to significant disenfranchisement. She explained that many voters only learned of their reassignment via text messages hours after voting had commenced, causing frustration and prompting some to abandon the process entirely.
“Some voters got frustrated and did not have the patience to keep moving around looking for their new polling unit, adding that they went home and never got to vote,” Mbamalu said.
She further highlighted operational delays, noting that voting materials were still being set up as late as 9:00 a.m. for an election scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. This late start resulted in prolonged waits for already-confused voters.
According to Yiaga Africa, the core issue stems from INEC’s establishment of new polling units and the subsequent reallocation of voters’ codes without a comprehensive voter education campaign ahead of the election. Mbamalu stressed that timely notification is essential for maintaining electoral integrity and voter confidence.
“This issue highlights the need for informing voters about polling unit reallocations and new codes well in advance of elections,” she stated.
The February 21 election for FCT Area Council chairs and councilors was conducted by INEC amid concerns over logistics and voter turnout. Yiaga Africa’s findings suggest that the communication lapse regarding polling unit changes directly impacted voter participation in several locations.
The observation underscores a recurring challenge in Nigeria’s electoral process: ensuring that administrative adjustments, such as creating new polling stations, are matched with robust public awareness efforts. Without proactive communication, such changes risk disenfranchising citizens and undermining the credibility of elections.
Moving forward, INEC is expected to review the operational challenges identified during the FCT polls. Civil society groups, including Yiaga Africa, are likely to continue pressing for reforms to guarantee that future elections are both efficiently administered and inclusively communicated. The effectiveness of voter notification systems remains a critical benchmark for improving electoral participation across Nigeria.
