INEC declares readiness for FCT polls

…as 1.6m residents register to vote

By Matthew Denis

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared its total readiness to conduct the high-stakes Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

Speaking at an enlarged stakeholders' forum in Abuja on Wednesday, the INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, confirmed that the commission has finalized all logistical and technical arrangements to accommodate the 1,680,315 registered voters who will be heading to the polls.

The Chairman described the upcoming election as a critical litmus test for grassroots democracy, noting that the FCT remains the only local government election in Nigeria conducted directly by INEC.

With 570 candidates vying for 68 constituencies, consisting of six Chairmanship positions and 62 Councilorship seats, the scale of the exercise is immense.

Professor Amupitan emphasized that the commission’s goal is to ensure that every vote is cast freely, counted accurately, and reflected transparently, cementing the FCT’s reputation as a national model for local governance.

To manage the influx of over 1.6 million voters, INEC has activated a massive operational framework involving thousands of personnel and specialized equipment. The exercise will span 2,822 polling units distributed across the six Area Councils: Abaji, Abuja Municipal (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.

The commission's human resource deployment is equally significant, comprising of 11,873 poling unit officials, including specialized teams for 195 split polling units, 282 supervisory Ppresiding officers to oversee field activities and over 600 technical and collation Staff, including Registration Area Centre Managers and LGA Collation Officers.

A centerpiece of Saturday's poll will be the deployment of the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Professor Amupitan reassured stakeholders that all devices, including a five percent backup contingency, have been fully tested and charged.

To bolster public trust, the commission conducted successful mock accreditation exercises in 289 polling units across the territory earlier this month.

In accordance with established transparency protocols, results from each polling unit will be uploaded directly to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

This real-time transmission is intended to eliminate traditional bottlenecks in result management and provide the public with immediate access to the tallies as they are finalized at the grassroots level.

With the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) concluded on February 10, the focus has shifted to the final hours of political activity. The Chairman reminded all candidates that the official window for campaigning will shut at midnight on Thursday, February 19, 2026. Any political activity beyond this deadline will be considered a violation of the Electoral Act.

To ensure the safety of voters and 1,589 accredited observers and journalists, INEC has coordinated extensively with transport unions and security agencies. A fleet of 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles, and 14 boats has been secured to ensure that materials and personnel arrive at every polling unit by the 8:30 a.m. opening time.