*As INEC Begins Uploading Scores To Portal
In a move deemed “very suspicious” by opposition parties and watchers of yesterday’s Area Council elections in Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr Lere Olayinka, spokesman of FCT Minister, Barrister Nyesom Wike, appeared to open a window to results direction arising from the polls, ahead of official final release of the results.
Obviously ridiculing stalwarts of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) –former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, and former governor of Anambra State, Peter Obi –, the spokesman, yesterday, stated that the duo’s coalition party “isn’t winning anything.”
Questions were asked as to what basis Olayinka made the sweeping statement, given that the electoral umpire was yet to release all results for FCT’s six Area Councils and 62 councilorship wards.
Posting on X, Olayinka wrote: “E dey be like say Atiku and Peter Obi’s ADC isn’t winning anything in this FCT Area Council Elections.”
However, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate and incumbent Chairman of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Christopher Maikalangu, secured victory in his polling unit.
Maikalangu garnered 229 votes, defeating his closest rival, Dr. Moses Paul of ADC, who received 15 votes.
In like manner, Dr. Paul won his own polling unit 076, Sani Abacha Estate, Wuse Zone 4, securing seven of the 10 votes cast, with Maikalangu getting two votes, and one vote declared invalid.
INEC Begins Results Upload
Meanwhile, Saturday night, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) kicked off the upload of election results for the polls on its results viewing portal, IReV.
For instance, results for Kwali Area Council chairmanship election were reportedly 56.72% completed as of 9:04 pm.
*PHOTO CAPTION: A polling unit in FCT… yesterday.
