FCT Polls restrictions halt Karu Market trading as traders count losses

2026-02-21 - 15:16

By Gift ChapiOdekina Trading activities were paralysed on Saturday at the usually vibrant Karu Market along the Karu/Karshi Expressway as authorities enforced movement restrictions for the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections. The market, a key commercial hub for foodstuffs, cooking utensils, clothing materials and farming tools, remained under lock and key for most of the day, with security operatives blocking access roads and preventing commercial transactions within the vicinity of nearby polling units. The market is surrounded by voting centres, including those at Yepwi Galadinma, Local Education Authority Primary School and Ungwa Pashai, prompting heightened security presence to ensure order during the exercise. While the restrictions were aimed at safeguarding the integrity of the polls, traders expressed frustration over what they described as the economic toll of the shutdown, particularly on small-scale operators who depend on daily sales. Clusters of traders were seen around the closed stalls, waiting and hoping that commercial activities would resume after voting concluded. One trader, Yohanna, questioned the necessity of halting business for the entire day, especially for those who had already cast their ballots. “Some of us have voted. There are people that are not interested in voting because they believe nothing will change. What we are not happy about is the fact that we are not allowed to open our shops,” he said. “We sell things everyday to make ends meet. Time is important to us. So, not allowing us to do business is very difficult to understand.” On whether he expected the market to reopen later in the day, Yohanna added, “I sell foodstuff. People eat everyday. For us, we are not only in business to make money, we are also rendering essential services. “Let’s hope they will allow us open our stalls. It is because of this hope that we did not go home after voting.” Another trader, who declined to be named, appealed to authorities to reconsider the blanket restriction once voting had stabilised. “They should let us return to our businesses. We have done our part, they should let us do our businesses now,” he said. Election-day shutdowns and movement restrictions have become a routine feature of Nigeria’s electoral cycle, particularly in densely populated areas where polling units are located near major markets and transport corridors. Security agencies maintain that limiting vehicular and commercial activity helps prevent voter intimidation, curb the movement of political agents and materials, and create a controlled atmosphere for voting and collation. However, the policy continues to draw criticism from informal sector operators who argue that a full-day halt in trading translates into lost income that cannot be recovered. With a significant share of Nigeria’s workforce engaged in small-scale enterprises, such restrictions often carry immediate economic consequences for households reliant on daily turnover. At Karu Market, the day’s significance extended beyond the ballot. For many traders, the central concern was not just who emerged victorious at the polls, but when the locks would come off their stalls and business would resume.