The African Democratic Congress (ADC) chieftain, Mr. Austin Okai, has raised a serious concerns over the motives behind planned power outages in the Federal Capital Territory amid the area’s council elections.
According to multiple reports from local media and social platforms, the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company (AEDC) issued a public notice on Friday, February 20, 2026, detailing major maintenance across its facilities in Nigeria’s capital.
AEDC’s Controversial Poll-Day Maintenance Announcement
The work targets key feeders in areas like AMAC, Kuje, Gwagwalada, and Kwali, precisely where FCT area council elections are underway today.
The schedule includes outages from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. in select locations, clashing with peak voting hours, and 2 a.m. to 4 p.m. in others, potentially affecting result collation.
Posted on AEDC’s Facebook page, the notice cited “urgent network upgrades” but omitted specifics on election impacts despite public outcry.
ADC chieftain Austin Okai labeled it “suspicious sabotage,” linking it to Minister Nyesom Wike’s movement restrictions.
Opposition voices fear voter suppression, while AEDC insists it’s routine. No official response from INEC yet as polls proceed amid defiance of restrictions.
AEDC Announces FCT-Wide Maintenance on Facebook
The schedule targets key areas during the ongoing area council elections, sparking immediate backlash from political stakeholders.
Some locations, including parts of Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) and Gwagwalada, face outages from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.
This prime voting window overlaps with peak polling hours, potentially disrupting ballot access for thousands of residents.
Other districts like Kuje and Kwali experience blackouts from 2 a.m. to 4 p.m., extending into afternoon tallies.
ADC’s Okai Slams AEDC Outages as Poll Sabotage
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is scheduled to conduct the FCT council elections on Saturday.
Reacting to the planned outage, Okai questioned the timing in a Facebook post, asking, “Why would AEDC cut power from 9 am to 1 pm during the elections?
“Furthermore, why are there reports that telecoms may limit internet access in the FCT during tomorrow’s vote? This is deeply troubling and unfair to the voters of the FCT.”
