Ahead of the Federal Capital Territory Area Council elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that more than 1.6 million people are registered to vote in the polls scheduled to hold in 18 days.
The Commission stated that the total number of registered voters in the FCT now stands at 1,680,315 following a recent update of the voters’ register.
This was revealed on Tuesday by the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Malam Aminu Idris, during the INEC Forum for Media Executives, Producers, Reporters and On-Air Personalities held in Abuja, ahead of the February 21, 2026, Area Council elections.
According to him, “Following the revision of the register of voters, the total number of registered voters in the FCT is now 1,680,315.”
Idris explained that INEC has approved the decongestion of large Registration Area Centres to enhance efficiency and ease the movement of personnel and election materials on polling day.
He noted that sub-Registration Area Centres have been created in Dutse Alhaji and Kubwa Wards of Bwari Area Council, as well as in Gwarinpa and Kabusa Wards within the Abuja Municipal Area Council.
He further disclosed that voting will not take place in four polling units across the FCT due to the absence of registered voters.
“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.
Idris reiterated the Commission’s commitment to maintaining a credible and accurate voters’ register ahead of the elections.
Speaking on INEC’s level of preparedness, he stated that the Commission has recorded substantial progress in several areas, including oversight of party primaries, release of final candidate lists, receipt and batching of non-sensitive materials, and activation of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices.
“We have commenced the 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 noted.
He added that the accreditation of media organisations is ongoing and will end on February 8, 2026, while the collection of Permanent Voter Cards at Area Council offices will continue until February 10, 2026.
Idris also announced that INEC will carry out a mock accreditation exercise in 289 polling units across the six Area Councils to test voter accreditation technology, voting procedures, and result uploads to the INEC Results Viewing portal.
“The purpose is to test-run the technologies that will be deployed on election day, from BVAS accreditation to voting and dummy results upload,” he said.
He added that the list of polling units affected by the mock exercise has been published on INEC’s website.
The REC urged media practitioners to play an active role in voter education and combating misinformation.
“Public confidence in elections is influenced not only by how the process is conducted, but also by how it is reported. We need accuracy over speed and facts over speculation,” he said.
He assured FCT residents that INEC remains fully committed to delivering “a peaceful, transparent, credible and inclusive” election, stressing that this goal can only be achieved through collaboration with a responsible and professional media.
Also speaking at the forum, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Mohammed Haruna, said the Commission has procured and batched nearly all non-sensitive materials required for the February 21 Area Council elections.
He explained that the materials have been organised across the six Area Councils, 62 Wards and 2,822 polling units.
“We have acquired virtually all the non-sensitive materials required for the election and batched them according to the six Area Councils, 62 Wards and 2,822 polling units in the Territory,” Haruna said.
He added that the printing of sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, is progressing well and could be completed ahead of schedule.
“As is our established practice, the Commission will, in the presence of party agents, security personnel, civil society organisations and the media, take delivery of these sensitive materials from the FCT Branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria on Wednesday, February 18, for distribution to Area Council offices ahead of the polls at 8:30 a.m. on February 21,” he said.
Haruna also confirmed that sufficient BVAS devices are being configured for deployment to all polling units.
“Adequate BVAS machines are being prepared for deployment to all the polling units in the Territory,” he said.
He further explained that although Area Council elections resemble local government polls conducted by state electoral commissions, the FCT occupies a unique constitutional position.
“Section 299 of the Constitution says the FCT shall be treated as if it were one of the states. In practice, FCT Area Council elections are like governorship elections in the 36 states,” Haruna said.
He emphasised that the forthcoming poll will be the first FCT Area Council election since the passage of the 2022 Electoral Act, which extended council tenure from three to four years.
“No stone must be left unturned to ensure that the election is free, fair and credible,” he said.
Haruna appealed to the media to promote voter turnout and uphold professional standards.
“I would like to appeal to the media to use their platforms to educate and mobilise eligible voters to come out and vote. Your coverage should be informed by a sound understanding of the Constitution, Electoral Law and the Commission’s Guidelines,” he said.
On the election timeline, he disclosed that INEC has completed 10 of the 13 critical activities, including the publication of the final Register of Voters on January 14.
The remaining tasks, according to him, are “Publication of the Notice of Poll on February 7, i.e., in four days’ time, the end of campaigns by the Political Parties on February 19, and the Election Day itself on February 21”.
