The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has strongly condemned the movement of the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, around polling units in Abuja during ongoing elections, describing it as undue interference in the electoral process.
In a statement issued on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the ADC said Wike’s tour of polling units, which the minister described as “monitoring,” was inappropriate and unconstitutional.
“Wike’s so-called monitoring exercise, coming after the unilateral imposition of a curfew on potential voters, amounts to direct interference in the election,” Abdullahi said.
“He is not a registered voter in the FCT, and as a known partisan figure and cabinet minister, he has no constitutional role in the conduct of elections.”
The party warned that the minister’s presence at polling units during active voting could intimidate voters and electoral officials, describing the action as “vexatious and meddlesome.”
The ADC also raised concerns over alleged voter suppression and intimidation in some parts of the Federal Capital Territory, claiming that there were reports of collaboration between agents of the ruling All Progressives Congress and some security personnel.
“In a similar vein, the ADC has received reports of voter suppression and intimidation in parts of the FCT, including alleged collaboration between APC agents and some security operatives,” the statement added.
The opposition party further faulted disruptions to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Result Viewing Portal (IReV), noting that the platform remained inaccessible while results were being collated.
“We find it a curious coincidence that the IReV has remained down at such a critical time,” Abdullahi said, calling on INEC to “urgently restore full functionality of the portal and provide a clear public explanation for the disruption.”
The ADC urged its party agents and supporters to remain calm but vigilant, and to properly document any irregularities observed during the electoral process.
“We call on all our party agents and voters to stay peaceful, vigilant, and to document all incidents,” the statement concluded.
