FCT Polls: INEC confirms 1.68m Registered Voters, intensifies preparations

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has disclosed that 1,680,315 voters have been registered in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) following a recent revision of the voter register.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Malam Aminu Kasimu Idris, made the disclosure on Tuesday during a media engagement forum organised by the Commission for editors, reporters, producers and on-air personalities, as part of INEC’s continuous stakeholder sensitisation ahead of the February 21, 2026 Area Council elections.

Idris said the Commission was intensifying preparations for the polls, including the decongestion of large Registration Area Centres (RACs) in selected wards within Bwari Area Council and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) to ensure smoother voting processes on Election Day.

He described the media forum as a strategic engagement aimed at aligning expectations, strengthening collaboration and promoting accurate public information ahead of the elections.

Media Key to Electoral Credibility — INEC

Also speaking, the Supervising National Commissioner for the FCT and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Malam Mohammed Haruna, stressed that the credibility of elections depends not only on the integrity of the process but also on responsible media reporting.

Haruna urged journalists and media organisations to deepen voter education and ensure their reports comply with the Constitution, Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.

While acknowledging that journalists may hold personal opinions, he cautioned that such views must never interfere with objective, factual and professional election coverage.

INEC Nears Completion of Election Timetable

Providing updates on preparations, Haruna disclosed that INEC has successfully completed 10 out of the 13 activities outlined in the election timetable.

He said the final Register of Voters was published on January 14, 2026, with copies already distributed to all political parties participating in the election.

According to him, the remaining activities include:

Publication of the Notice of Poll on February 7

Conclusion of political campaigns on February 19

Conduct of the election on February 21

He added that observer accreditation had been concluded, while the media accreditation portal will remain open until February 8 to ensure timely processing of accreditation materials.

Logistics, BVAS, Sensitive Materials

Haruna confirmed that virtually all non-sensitive election materials have been delivered and batched according to the six Area Councils, 62 Wards and 2,822 Polling Units in the FCT.

He said sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, would be printed ahead of time and formally received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Abuja Branch, on February 18, in the presence of political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and the media.

He also revealed that BVAS machines were currently being configured for deployment across all polling units.

FCT Elections Attract National Attention — INEC

Haruna explained that although Area Council elections share similarities with local government polls conducted by state electoral commissions, Section 299 of the Constitution places the FCT on the same footing as a state.

He noted that the FCT has a larger voting population than Bayelsa and Ekiti States, a factor that naturally attracts both national and international attention.

Candidate Replacement, Mock Accreditation

Earlier, REC Idris confirmed that INEC had approved the replacement of the APC candidate for Igu Ward in Bwari Area Council following the death of the initial candidate, Zachariah James Danbaki, with Danbaki Titus emerging as the new nominee.

He also announced that INEC would conduct a mock accreditation exercise in 289 selected polling units across the six Area Councils to test BVAS accreditation, voter flow and dummy uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

Idris urged the media to give the exercise wide publicity to enhance voter awareness and participation.

He further disclosed that elections would not hold in four polling units — three in Garki Ward and one in Jiwa Ward — due to the absence of registered voters.

NUJ Urges Accuracy, Journalist Safety

In her goodwill message, Chairperson of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Ms. Grace Ike, commended INEC for convening the forum, describing it as timely in an era of widespread misinformation.

She urged journalists to prioritise accuracy over speed, reject hate speech, uphold fairness and professionalism, and ensure responsible reporting.

Ike also emphasised the importance of journalist safety, calling on INEC, security agencies, political parties and supporters to guarantee the protection of media professionals before, during and after the elections.