FCT polls: Party agents accuse APC of vote-buying

2026-02-21 - 13:57

By Gift ChapiOdekina Tension arose at Polling Unit 035 in Nyanya, Abuja Municipal Area Council, after agents of the Peoples Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress accused the ruling All Progressives Congress of attempting to financially induce voters at the polling unit. Operatives of the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps reinforced security at the polling unit following a brief disruption caused by protests from opposition party agents. According to an opposition agent who spoke on the condition of anonymity, individuals allegedly approached voters in the queue and offered cash incentives. “Some people we suspect to be APC intermediaries came to speak with voters. They were giving ₦1,000, but we openly rejected and spoke against it. That was why the situation became unruly for a while, but calm was restored after they left,” the agent said. An ADC agent also faulted the response of security personnel at the scene, alleging they failed to act promptly. “They are sharing ₦1,000 per voter and security personnel are watching. How can such a thing be allowed? We will not tolerate it,” the agent said. The confrontation led to heated exchanges among voters along party lines and briefly disrupted the orderly queue. At one point, a voter appealed to the protesting agents, warning that their actions could result in the cancellation of the polling unit’s results. Calm was eventually restored, and voting continued under close monitoring by security operatives. Commercial activities around the polling area were largely shut down due to the elections, with most businesses closed except for essential services such as the Nyanya General Hospital. Allegations of vote buying have become a recurring feature of elections in Nigeria, raising concerns about the integrity of the country’s democratic process. Electoral observers, civil society organisations, and the Independent National Electoral Commission have repeatedly warned that the practice undermines free and fair elections by influencing voters through financial inducements. Vote-buying often involves the distribution of cash, food items, or other material benefits to voters at polling units or through intermediaries. The practice is particularly prevalent in tightly contested local and off-cycle elections, where political actors seek to mobilise support through direct incentives. Despite provisions in Nigeria’s Electoral Act that criminalise voter inducement and prescribe penalties for offenders, enforcement has remained a major challenge. Poverty, unemployment, and weak monitoring mechanisms have been identified by analysts as factors that make voters vulnerable to financial influence. In recent years, election monitoring groups have also reported the evolution of more discreet methods of inducement, including coded transactions, electronic transfers and the use of agents stationed near polling centres.