The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 1.6 million voters are registered to participate in the upcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.
INEC disclosed that the total number of registered voters in the FCT has risen to 1,680,315 following a recent revision of the voters’ register.
The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Malam Aminu Idris, made this known on Tuesday at the INEC Forum for Media Executives, Producers, Reporters and On-Air Personalities in Abuja, noting that the revision was part of efforts to ensure a credible electoral process.
“Following the revision of the register of voters, the total number of registered voters in the FCT is now 1,680,315,” Idris said.
He added that INEC has approved the decongestion of large Registration Area Centres (RACs) to enhance efficiency and ease the movement of election personnel and materials. As a result, sub-RACs have been created in Dutse Alhaji and Kubwa Wards of Bwari Area Council, as well as Gwarinpa and Kabusa Wards in the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
Idris also revealed that elections will not hold in four polling units across the FCT due to zero voter registration. “There are three polling units in Garki Ward and one in Jiwa Ward where elections will not take place due to zero registration,” he said.
The REC reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to maintaining an accurate and credible voters’ register and disclosed that preparations for the polls are progressing steadily. These include monitoring party primaries, publishing final lists of candidates, receiving and batching non-sensitive materials, and activating Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices.
“We have commenced monitoring of public campaigns, taken delivery of non-sensitive materials, opened portals for observer accreditation and recruitment of ad-hoc staff, and activated BVAS devices in readiness for configuration,” Idris stated.
He said accreditation of media organisations will close on February 8, 2026, while the collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) at Area Council offices will continue until February 10, 2026.
INEC, he added, will conduct a mock accreditation exercise in 289 polling units across the six Area Councils to test voter accreditation, voting processes and results upload to the INEC Results Viewing (IReV) portal. The list of affected polling units has been published on INEC’s website.
Idris urged the media to promote voter education and counter misinformation, stressing that accurate reporting is crucial to public confidence in the electoral process. He assured residents that INEC is committed to delivering a peaceful, transparent, credible and inclusive election in the FCT.
In his remarks, the National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, said the Commission has acquired and batched nearly all non-sensitive materials required for the election across the six Area Councils, 62 wards and 2,822 polling units.
He added that printing of sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, is progressing well and may be completed ahead of schedule. Haruna said the materials would be collected from the FCT branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria on February 18, in the presence of stakeholders, for distribution ahead of election day.
Haruna also confirmed that adequate BVAS devices are being configured for deployment to all polling units and noted the unique constitutional status of the FCT.
“Section 299 of the Constitution treats the FCT as if it were one of the states. In practice, FCT Area Council elections are similar to governorship elections in the 36 states,” he explained.
He noted that this will be the first FCT Area Council election since the 2022 Electoral Act extended council tenure from three to four years, stressing that no effort must be spared to ensure credible polls.
Haruna appealed to the media to encourage voter participation and maintain professionalism, adding that INEC has completed 10 of the 13 key activities on the election timetable. The remaining activities include the publication of the Notice of Poll on February 7, the end of campaigns on February 19, and the election on February 21.
Elijah Adeyemi
