One Month to Go: INEC Declares ‘100% Readiness’ for FCT Area Council Polls, Begins PVC Distribution
ABUJA — With exactly 30 days left until the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that it is “100 percent ready” to conduct free and fair polls on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
The Commission also announced the immediate commencement of Permanent Voter Card (PVC) distribution at the ward level to ensure that the 102,307 new voters added to the register can exercise their franchise.
Speaking at a strategic stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Tuesday, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Malam Aminu Kasimu Idris, confirmed that the electoral body has secured all non-sensitive materials and finalized logistics arrangements for the six Area Councils.
“No PVC, No Voting”
Malam Idris disclosed that the collection of PVCs will run for five days, starting from Thursday, January 22, to Monday, January 26, 2026, across all 62 Registration Areas (wards) in the territory.
“We have deployed staff to all 62 wards to ensure seamless distribution,” Idris stated. “I must emphasize that the Commission maintains a strict ‘No PVC, No Voting’ policy. We will not issue cards by proxy; every voter must collect their card in person.”
The REC urged residents who registered during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) window in late 2025 to take advantage of this localized distribution before the exercise reverts to the Area Council offices.
Voter Register hits 1.68 Million
Providing updated statistics, INEC revealed that the FCT voter register has swelled significantly since the last election cycle.
- Total Registered Voters: The figure now stands at 1,680,315, up from 1.57 million in 2023.
- New Voters: After cleaning up the data and removing double registrants, the Commission added 102,307 valid new voters.
“The high number of new registrants shows that Abuja residents are eager to participate in local governance,” Idris noted. “We have configured our Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to accommodate this increase and ensure speedy accreditation on election day.”
Security Arrangements
Addressing concerns about safety, the FCT Police Command and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) assured residents of a “water-tight” security architecture.
The authorities plan to restrict movement on election day to prevent hoodlums from hijacking the process, a measure they claim is necessary to protect the integrity of the ballot in the FCT’s 68 constituencies.
This election marks the first cycle under the new four-year tenure system for Council Chairmen and Councilors, following the Supreme Court judgment that aligned their terms with other executive offices.