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By Tracy Moses
Tension flared up on Saturday at Polling Unit 035 in Nyanya, Abuja Municipal Area Council, following allegations by opposition party agents that supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) were attempting to induce voters with cash during the ongoing Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
Agents of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the African Democratic Congress (ADC) accused suspected APC intermediaries of offering ₦1,000 to voters standing in the queue in exchange for their support.
The allegation sparked a heated confrontation at the polling unit, briefly disrupting the otherwise orderly voting process as party agents openly challenged the suspected inducement.
An opposition agent, who spoke on condition of anonymity, claimed that individuals approached voters shortly before accreditation and voting commenced.
“Some people we suspect to be APC intermediaries came to speak with voters on the queue. They were giving ₦1,000 to each person, but we openly rejected and protested against it. That was why the situation became tense for a while. Calm was restored after they left,” the agent said.
An ADC agent also criticised what he described as the inaction of security personnel present at the polling unit.
“They are sharing ₦1,000 per voter and security personnel are watching. How can such a thing be allowed? We will not tolerate it,” he said.
The confrontation led to exchanges of heated words among voters and party supporters, raising concerns about a possible breakdown of order. At one point, a voter appealed to the protesting agents to allow the process continue peacefully, warning that further disruption could result in the cancellation of results from the polling unit.
Security operatives from the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps subsequently reinforced their presence and monitored the situation closely, restoring calm and enabling voting to resume without further incident.
Commercial activities around the polling area were largely shut down due to the elections, with most businesses closed except for essential services, including the Nyanya General Hospital.
Allegations of vote buying have remained a recurring feature of elections in Nigeria, raising concerns about the integrity of the country’s democratic process. Despite provisions in the Electoral Act criminalising voter inducement and prescribing penalties for offenders, enforcement has continued to pose a significant challenge.
Civil society organisations and election observers have repeatedly called for stricter enforcement of electoral laws, improved voter education, and greater accountability to curb the menace and safeguard the credibility of elections.