By Mercy Peter
The Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) Chairmanship candidate for Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Hon. Swani Buba, on Saturday expressed confidence of emerging victorious after casting his vote at Polling Unit 04-001, Registration Area 04, Wuse Zone 1, near the former Habib Bank building, now Keystone Bank.
Buba, who arrived at the polling unit at about 10:20 a.m., successfully voted at exactly 10:27 a.m. using the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), following a brief facial recognition delay.
Addressing journalists shortly after exercising his franchise, the candidate described the accreditation and voting process as smooth but lamented low voter turnout.
Buba raised concerns over what he described as intimidating statements allegedly credited to the FCT Minister, which he said may have heightened fears among voters. According to him, such remarks created apprehension that the election outcome could be influenced arbitrarily.
“I am the Chairmanship Candidate for Zenith Labour Party in AMAC. We can see that the process is smooth. Unfortunately, voter apathy has really eaten deep into the electorate, though I hope that something will be done about it,” he said.
“The only thing I’m so sad about is that people have refused to come out to show that they can change leaders they do not want,” he stated. Despite the concerns, he maintained strong optimism.
“I’ve been optimistic right from day one. So, if it’s about being optimistic, yes, I can categorically tell you that I’m going to win the election,” he declared, adding that his party would closely monitor proceedings to ensure votes count. “We’ll be here to make sure our votes count. So, we’re watching.”
On the minor BVAS glitch he experienced, which required three attempts before successful facial capture, Buba dismissed fears of widespread technical hitches, noting that his wife’s accreditation went through seamlessly.
“My wife’s vote was very smooth. I’m a bit tall, so I don’t know if I should attribute it to that. But it’s nothing that we should raise an eyebrow on. I believe it will go smoothly that way,” he said.
He also reacted to the recent signing of amendments to the Electoral Act by Bola Tinubu on February 19, 2026, noting that the changes, which provide for electronic transmission of results with contingencies, would likely impact the 2027 general elections rather than the ongoing Area Council polls.
“From what I know, the signing of the bill has to do with the 2027 election, not the Area Council elections, because the timetable for these polls was already based on the 2022 Electoral Act,”
he explained. Buba described the FCT Area Council election as a key test for 2027 and reiterated his commitment to working with security agencies to ensure a peaceful process, particularly within central Abuja.
