By Mercy Peter
No fewer than 1.6 million registered voters are expected to participate in the 2026 Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission, Wednesday, 18 February 2026 declared it has concluded all major preparations for the exercise scheduled for Saturday, February 21.
Addressing political parties, candidates, security agencies, civil society groups and the media at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed that 1,680,315 voters will cast their ballots across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils of Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
He described the polls as a defining moment for grassroots democracy in the FCT, noting that 570 candidates are contesting 68 constituencies.
The INEC Chairman announced that all 13 activities listed in the election timetable have been successfully implemented, with only the close of campaigns and Election Day remaining. He revealed that 106,099 Permanent Voter Cards were collected during the distribution period, reflecting strong voter interest in the process.
He said 89 domestic and foreign observer groups, as well as 700 journalists representing 72 media organisations, have been accredited to monitor the polls.
The Commission said 11,873 polling unit officials will be deployed, supported by supervisory and technical personnel to ensure smooth operations.
The upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System will be used in all polling units, with results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal in line with established guidelines. Prof. Amupitan assured stakeholders that all devices have been tested, fully charged and backed up, while transportation arrangements involving over a thousand vehicles, motorcycles and boats have been finalized.
“This engagement provides us with an important opportunity for open and constructive discussion as we approach Election Day,” he said. “The conduct of credible elections is a shared responsibility.
“The Commission has kept faith with its commitments, and we expect political parties and candidates to equally comply with the law as the campaign period draws to a close,” Prof. Amupitan stated.
He declared, “INEC does not have a political party and does not have a preferred candidate. Our mandate is clear: to provide the enabling environment for residents of the Federal Capital Territory to freely choose their representatives.”
