By Mercy Peter
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Tuesday led National Commissioners and top management staff to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Kuje Area Council ahead of the February 21, 2026 election, declaring the poll a critical test of the Commission’s standards and credibility.
The INEC boss, Prof Joash Amupitan, said the presence of the Commission’s full complement of leadership underscored the importance attached to the FCT election.
He directed that all logistics be finalized ahead of Saturday’s poll, including activation of Registration Area Centres (RACs) on Friday, early deployment of personnel and commencement of accreditation and voting by 8:30 a.m.
He emphasized proper result management and mandatory upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing portal (IReV), noting ongoing improvements toward electronic collation.
He stressed that “For us to close down the Commission’s headquarters and move to an Area Council, you know it is a serious business.
“If we can afford to shut down operations just because of you, it means this election is very dear to our hearts,” he said, reminding officials that campaigns would end on February 19 in line with the electoral timetable.
“What is unseen today will be seen on examination day. Examination day is February 21. We will know whether you qualify to continue to answer that name and whether you can set the standard for INEC from here,” he said.
Stressing punctuality, diligence and strict compliance with the law, he cautioned against breaches of the Constitution, the Electoral Act and INEC regulations.
“I don’t want anybody to go to jail. The best way to stay out of that is to ensure that you play in accordance with the rules,” he warned, adding that any action taken by ad hoc or permanent staff would be viewed as the action of the Commission itself.
“We want the election to start at 8:30. If you start on time and the election is peaceful, you can finish counting before darkness and upload the results. You must upload our results, he said.
Calling for renewed voter awareness and public trust, he added, “There is no electoral process that can be credible if you don’t have trust. Nigeria is in a crucial stage. You cannot afford to fail.”
