INEC Ready for February 21 FCT Area Council Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has concluded all preparations for the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, across the six councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).
INEC Chairman, Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, disclosed this at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, describing the polls as a key test of democratic governance at the grassroots. He called on all stakeholders to work together to ensure a credible and peaceful exercise.
Amupitan noted that although INEC is constitutionally responsible for conducting the elections, the credibility of the process depends largely on the cooperation and lawful conduct of political parties, candidates, security agencies, civil society groups, the media and voters.
He said a total of 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to participate in the elections across Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali. Voting will take place in 2,822 polling units, with 570 candidates contesting 68 positions, including chairmanship, vice-chairmanship and councillorship seats.
The INEC chairman described the FCT elections as unique, noting that they are the only local government polls conducted directly by the commission, rather than by state electoral bodies, making them a national benchmark for credible local elections.
He added that all activities in the commission’s 13-item timetable had been successfully implemented, with political campaigns scheduled to end at midnight on Thursday, February 19.
Amupitan also revealed that the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), following the suspension of Continuous Voter Registration in October 2025, ended on February 10, with 106,099 PVCs collected.
To strengthen transparency, he said INEC accredited 89 domestic and international observer groups, as well as 700 journalists from 72 media organisations, urging them to maintain professionalism in their duties.
On operational readiness, the commission trained and deployed 11,873 polling officials, including staff assigned to split polling units, supervisors, collation officers and technical teams.
He further stated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) had been fully upgraded and tested, with backup devices available. A mock accreditation exercise conducted in 289 polling units, he said, produced satisfactory results, boosting confidence in the system’s performance.
Logistics arrangements have also been completed, with transport unions providing 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles and 14 boats to support the movement of personnel and materials. Polling is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. on Election Day.
Reaffirming the commission’s neutrality, Amupitan said INEC has no preferred candidates or political affiliations, stressing that its duty is to allow voters to freely choose their leaders.
He warned against vote buying and selling, describing the practice as a serious threat to democracy. He added that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have been directed to deploy personnel to polling units to detect and prosecute offenders.
In his remarks, the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aminu Kasimu Idris, said preparations for the elections began in January 2025, covering party primaries, candidate nominations, campaign monitoring, voter registration and PVC distribution.
He noted that voter registers had been displayed at polling units to enable residents confirm their voting locations, and urged stakeholders to carry out their responsibilities responsibly.
Idris called on voters to turn out peacefully, advised political parties and candidates to comply with electoral laws, and urged the media to provide fair and accurate coverage. He also charged security agencies to maintain peace and encouraged INEC officials to discharge their duties with professionalism.