By Mercy Peter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Thursday announced that over 1.5 million registered voters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
The Commission disclosed this in a press statement, noting that the exercise recorded an impressive turnout across the six Area Councils of the Territory.
INEC revealed that as of the close of collection on February 10, 2026, a total of 1,680,315 voters registered in the FCT.
According to the statement which was signed by National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, out of this figure, 1,587,025 PVCs have been collected, representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate, while 93,290 cards remain uncollected.
A breakdown of the figures shows that Abaji Area Council recorded 75,517 collected PVCs out of 79,471 registered voters, representing a 95.0 per cent collection rate.
Bwari posted 276,360 collected PVCs out of 295,711 registered voters, translating to 93.5 per cent, while Gwagwalada recorded 196,184 collections from 208,057 registered voters, representing 94.3 per cent.
Kuje Area Council emerged with the highest rate, recording 144,109 collected PVCs out of 148,286 registered voters, representing 97.2 per cent.
Kwali recorded 99,774 collected PVCs out of 107,203 registered voters, representing 93.1 per cent, while the Municipal Area Council recorded 795,081 collections out of 841,587 registered voters, representing 94.5 per cent.
INEC further revealed that several Registration Areas (RAs) recorded exceptionally high collection rates, with some exceeding 99 per cent, reflecting strong grassroots mobilization and voter engagement across the Territory.
The Commission commended residents of the FCT for their responsiveness during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and PVC collection exercises, describing the figures as a clear indication of citizen readiness to participate in the democratic process.
It reiterated that only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be allowed to vote on Election Day, assuring stakeholders that all necessary logistics and security arrangements have been put in place to ensure a free, fair and credible election.
