The 1st Country Director of the Votes Must Count International Initiative, Barry Johnson, has criticised the conduct of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, alleging irregularities and undue influence by political actors.
Johnson made the remarks during an interview on News Central TV on Sunday, February 22, 2026, while reacting to events that unfolded during Saturday’s polls. He said, “We saw what happened yesterday. This is not an election. This is a selection of those, the president of Nigeria and the Honorable Minister Nyesom Wike are interested in giving power to.”
He continued, “You can see that it’s all about the APC with the influence of the PDP by the corner. And it’s a sad experience that the Honorable Minister could use state power to capture the politics and the election of the FCT.”
Questioning the role of the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, Johnson said, “The Nyesom Wike has no business in the conduct of the election, but you saw the role he played. We saw him all over the place going to supervise the election. Is that his business? Does he work for INEC? Those are the things you ask.”
He also criticised the restriction of movement announced ahead of the election, arguing that it affected voter participation, particularly in the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).
According to him, “And again, you also see the by force curfew sit at home restriction of movement. If you understand the politics of the FCT and the elections over the years, you understand that freedom of movement is one of the major role for a successful elections in the FCT most, especially at the Abuja Municipal Area Council where most people register in their business places. And by that restriction of movement is an automatic restriction of the disenfranchisement of voters in AMAC.”
Johnson further alleged incidents of malpractice during the polls. He said, “And you can also see the thuggery, the vote buying and the stealing of ballot box and the fighting of the opposition people. Man, this is not an election. In fact, vote must count, use this opportunity to reject whatever results presented by INEC in connivance with Ahmed Bola Tinubu’s APC and the FCT minister at the same time.”
He also expressed concern over reported low turnout in some polling units: “You see, truth be said, the FCT people, most especially those living in AMAC exactly did not do well at all by not coming out because you confirm that these elections, if you go to some polling units, zero voters. So what exactly is the reason why money is spent for these elections? Zero voting. Do you know what it means to have zero voting? It’s a shame.”
Concluding, he said, “If you don’t vote in Nigeria, the government will use your vote. Your government will vote for you.”…..See More
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