FCT Polls: ADC kicks against curfew declaration, alleges voter suppression

The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has raised concerns over the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) curfew imposed ahead of Saturday’s elections, describing the move as premature and alleging it amounts to voter suppression.

The party criticised the decision of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, to restrict movement in Abuja from 8:00 p.m. on Friday, arguing that such measures are traditionally enforced from midnight on election day.

In a post on his X handle, the ADC National Publicity Secretary, Mallam Bolaji Abdullahi, expressed the party’s strong objection to the early restriction, stating that while certain movement controls on election day may be justified for security reasons, commencing them a day earlier raises serious concerns.

The ADC maintained that elections must be conducted in an atmosphere that is not only safe but also visibly free and open to all eligible voters. It insisted that residents of Abuja should be able to travel safely to their polling units, remain until the voting process concludes, and return home without fear of harassment, obstruction, or arbitrary limitations on movement.

The party alleged that the curfew was imposed after the government realised it stood little chance in the election, describing the action as a deliberate attempt to suppress voter turnout.