FCT poll: Expect result from Sunday – INEC

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has said the result of the area council election held across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) would be announced from Sunday.
The commission also said election would continue same Sunday in two polling units where elections did not hold due to card reader failure.
INEC’s national commissioner in the commission, Anthonia Simbine, while addressing journalists on the conduct of the elction yesterday, said the polling units involved were Dabi Village Square Unit 002, Pai Ward, Kwali and Dabo Fulani in Gwagwa, AMAC.
She explained that the card reader stalled the conduct of the election in the units, and that at the time the technical challenge could have been resolved, “it would have been too late to begin election in the wards.”
The commissioner charged all voters in the affected areas to come out on Sunday as INEC officials were billed to arrive at 7am to begin the conduct of the election.
“As of now, we have just two polling units where election will be repeated. It may be more than that at the end of the day but right now we are sure of two.
“In Pai ward, we are going to repeat the exercise by tomorrow, also in Gwagwa (AMAC); the card reader malfunctioned and the voters waited patiently in those places. They are going to have opportunity to vote tomorrow,” she said.
On the general conduct of the election, Ms. Simbine said that the process was peaceful except for skirmishes reported in few areas.
According to her, slight violence was reported in Wuse but it was taken care of by security operatives.
“In Tunga Karshi, we had to evacuate our staff and in that particular place about 150 voters were affected. We had to completely stop the voting process to ensure safety of our staff. We would not be repeating elections in Karshi because the voters there have demonstrated that they do not want to vote.
“Moreover, there is nothing to show that there would be no violence if we choose to repeat election in that area,” she said.
On the possibility of announcing the elections results on Saturday, Ms. Simbine said that collation was still ongoing and that the results were expected to start trickling into headquarters from midnight.
She expressed satisfaction at the conduct of the election “and the doggedness of the officials and the voters in spite of the heavy rainfall.”