The African Democratic Congress has criticised the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, over his movement across polling centres during the ongoing elections in Abuja, describing it as undue interference.
In a statement released on Saturday by its National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, the party expressed concern over what it called the minister’s involvement in election monitoring despite having no official role in the process.
The ADC maintained that Wike is neither a registered voter in the FCT nor constitutionally empowered to supervise electoral activities, arguing that his presence at voting locations while polling was ongoing could create tension and discourage voters.
The party warned that such actions risk undermining confidence in the electoral exercise, adding that the appearance of a serving cabinet member at polling units could be perceived as an attempt to influence proceedings.
It further alleged cases of voter intimidation and suppression in some parts of the territory, claiming that certain security operatives were allegedly acting in collaboration with agents of the All Progressives Congress.
The opposition party also raised alarm over the temporary inaccessibility of the Independent National Electoral Commission Result Viewing Portal (IReV), noting that the platform remained unavailable even as collation of results was underway.
Describing the development as troubling, the ADC called on the electoral commission to immediately restore the portal and provide clarity to the public regarding the cause of the disruption.
The party, however, urged its supporters and party agents to remain calm, vigilant and ensure that any irregularities observed during the election were properly documented.
