The Area Council Election in Bwari Local Government of the Federal Capital Territory witnessed notably low turnout across polling units, as voting commenced smoothly on Saturday.

Only a handful of voters were seen at most of the polling units visited by The Guardian, despite each having over 500 registered voters, as of 12:00 p.m.

At Ushafa Primary School, residents trickled in slowly, a trend mirrored at Science Primary School, which hosts seven polling units, where only a few voters were present despite all units being open and operational.
Even larger polling units, such as 3/3 Junction by Model, Kubwa, with 1,089 registered voters, recorded minimal turnout.

Some residents said they had difficulty finding their polling units due to recent INEC relocations.

A voter in Dutse Alhaji, Saliu Muhammad, said he received an email from INEC notifying him of the change in his polling unit, while another at 3/3 Junction, Kubwa, attributed the low turnout to many people being unaware of the new location.

A presiding officer, who declined to be named, explained that the polling unit had been moved from 3/1 Junction since the 2023 general election, adding that this should not discourage voters.

Other locations, including the Federal Housing Authority and Model Primary School in Kubwa, with 564 registered voters, also experienced low turnout, although BVAS machines functioned properly at most polling units visited.

Similar trends were observed at the Sagwari Extension Customary Court Security Gate in Dutse Alhaji, which has about 600 registered voters.

Residents continued with their normal business while INEC and NDLEA officials monitored proceedings.

At Sagwari Primary School, Dutse Makaranta, officials arrived shortly before 8:00 a.m., but voter presence remained sparse.

A presiding officer at Sagwari Baupma Villages, Sagwari Primary School II, with 507 registered voters, told The Guardian that by 8:40 a.m., no voters had arrived, a trend seen across nearby units.

Despite the low turnout, security personnel, including soldiers and police, maintained checkpoints without incident.