Residents of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) have stayed away from voting in the ongoing FCT Area Council election.
All the polling units visited by Blueprint.ng reporter had either few or no single voter in sight as voter apathy was the order of the day.
At polling unit 110, adjacent Government Secondary School (GSS) Garki, only three voters were sighted by Blueprint.ng reporter, while the polling unit lacked ink for thumbprinting.
The presiding officer was overheard begging a policeman attached to the polling unit to sought for water to be added to the ink pad for an elderly woman to vote.
However, the policeman grumbled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) could not provide materials for voters, despite the amount of money it got for the conduct of the election.
At polling unit 115, Area 10, opposite Garki General Hospital, out of 44 voters expected by the officials, only three people had voted as at 10am.
INEC adhoc staff were seen engaging in a gossip as there was no single voter in sight.
When asked, the officials told Blueprint.ng reporter that they can’t go to homes of voters to drag them out to vote.
At polling unit 041, Area 3, Garki, behind Sterling Bank, Tafawa Balewa Way, out of 10 voters expected, none had come as of 10:05am.
At polling Unit 12, in front of University of Abuja, Sustainable Development Center, Area 3, Garki, out of 1,900 voters expected, only 20 voters had voted as of 10:30am.
Speaking with Blueprint.ng reporter, one of the adhoc staff at the polling unit, who pleaded anonymity, lamented the unwillingness of AMAC residents to vote, saying it may be as a result of the feeling of many people that winners are already predetermined.
“I think people have lost interest in our elections. We are expecting over 1,900 voters, but only about 20 people have voted so far. Though we are expecting more people, I doubt if we’ll get a reasonable number. There is this feeling that winners are already predetermined, so many people just stay away,” the source said.
Blueprint.ng reports that many residents were loitering at Garki and openly stated they’re not interested in voting when asked by our reporter.