The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, on Saturday said the Area Council elections across Abuja were peaceful, though voter turnout was low in parts of the city.
He spoke after visiting polling units and meeting with voters during the exercise.
The elections were held across the six area councils of the FCT, where residents voted to elect chairmen and councillors.
Wike stated that security reports from different locations showed that the process was calm, with no cases of violence recorded at the time of his assessment.
While expressing satisfaction with the orderly conduct of the poll, the minister pointed out that turnout in the city centre was poor. He noted that low participation in central Abuja has been a recurring issue, especially during off-cycle elections.
However, he said the situation was different in many satellite towns, where more voters were seen at polling units.
Wike commended security agencies for maintaining order throughout the exercise.
According to him, their presence and coordination helped ensure that the voting process went on without disruption. He also acknowledged the efforts of officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, saying they handled their responsibilities well.
Addressing criticism from Senator Ireti Kingibe over movement restrictions during the election period, Wike denied imposing any curfew.
He explained that the restriction was based on a directive from the President, which limited movement from Friday night to Saturday evening to allow for a smooth electoral process.
He clarified that the decision was not taken by him personally.
The FCT has over 1.5 million registered voters expected to participate in the election.
A total of 68 positions are being contested, including six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship seats across Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali.