The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Joash Amupitan, has commended the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory area council elections, describing the exercise as peaceful, orderly and efficient.
Speaking with journalists on Saturday after monitoring voting activities in parts of the Abuja Municipal Area Council, Amupitan expressed satisfaction with the performance of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the general turnout of voters.
He noted that accreditation using BVAS took only a few seconds in most polling units visited, significantly reducing waiting time and contributing to the smooth flow of the exercise.
According to him, reports from presiding officers indicated that the technology functioned effectively across the territory.
The INEC chairman praised voters, security personnel and election officials for maintaining calm and professionalism throughout the process.
He added that the peaceful atmosphere observed at the polling units reflected positive progress in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
Addressing concerns over the reported harassment of a journalist by security operatives, Amupitan said the commission promptly intervened to secure the journalist’s release, reaffirming INEC’s commitment to protecting accredited media personnel and observers.
While acknowledging minor delays in the deployment of materials and ad hoc staff in a few locations, he said the commission swiftly addressed the issues.
As of mid-morning, he disclosed, nearly all polling units across the FCT had opened for voting, with real-time monitoring ongoing from the situation room.
Amupitan assured residents that the commission remained committed to ensuring that every valid vote counts and pledged further improvements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
