By Mercy Peter
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced the ward-level distribution of 128,396 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as part of preparations for the 2026 Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Malam Aminu Kasimu Idris, disclosed this on Tuesday during a media briefing at the INEC FCT Conference Hall in Abuja, where he outlined modalities for PVC collection and provided an update on the Commission’s level of readiness for the polls.
According to the REC, the in-person PVC collection exercise will take place from Thursday, January 22 to Monday, January 26, 2026, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily. The exercise will be conducted across all 62 Registration Areas (wards) in the six Area Councils of the FCT.
He added that eligible voters who are unable to collect their cards within the stipulated period will still have the opportunity to do so at their respective INEC Area Council offices thereafter.
Malam Idris explained that the PVCs available for collection cover cards issued to newly registered voters, individuals who transferred their voter registration within or into the FCT, those who applied for replacement of lost or defaced cards, as well as PVCs produced during previous registration exercises but yet to be collected.
He emphasised that the Permanent Voter Card remains the only valid document for voter accreditation, in accordance with Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended). The REC stressed that PVCs will not be issued by proxy and must be collected personally by their rightful owners.
Providing an update on voter registration figures, Malam Idris disclosed that prior to the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the FCT on October 12, 2025, a total of 106,855 persons registered as new voters. Following the mandatory deduplication process, 102,307 valid new voters were added to the voter register, increasing the total number of registered voters in the FCT to 1,680,315.
This represents a significant rise from the 1,570,307 registered voters recorded during the 2023 General Election. He also revealed that 8,476 voters transferred their registration into the FCT, while 775 transferred out.
the REC assured residents that INEC has recorded substantial progress in line with its approved timetable and schedule of activities. He listed completed milestones to include the monitoring of political party primaries and the resolution of related disputes, publication of the final list of nominated candidates, ongoing monitoring of political campaigns, receipt and batching of non-sensitive election materials, activation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, and the accreditation of observers, media organisations, polling agents and ad-hoc electoral personnel.
Malam Idris further disclosed that INEC has intensified voter education and sensitisation across the territory, published the final register of voters for the election, and strengthened collaboration with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
He added that the Commission has commenced the training of election security personnel and initiated strategic engagements with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to ensure smooth transportation and logistics on election day.
the REC noted that INEC remains mindful of the FCT’s population size, complex terrain and prevailing security considerations. He assured that these factors have been adequately integrated into the Commission’s operational and logistics planning for the polls.
He called on the media to sustain its partnership with INEC by disseminating accurate information, countering misinformation and disinformation, and encouraging eligible voters to collect their PVCs promptly ahead of the election.
Reaffirming INEC’s commitment to the electoral process, Malam Idris assured residents of the FCT that the Commission will conduct a free, fair, inclusive and credible Area Council Election in strict compliance with the Electoral Act. He also expressed appreciation to members of the press for their continued support, cooperation and professionalism.
