The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed the successful conduct of the February 21, 2026 Area Council elections across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), with results declared for all six councils.
INEC said elections were held for the six Area Council chairmanship positions and 62 councillorship seats. Results were announced late Saturday, except for Kuje Area Council, which was declared at about 3:30pm on Sunday following delays in collation.
Winners Across the Six Area Councils
According to official results released by INEC, the All Progressives Congress (APC) won five of the six councils, while the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) secured one.
The declared winners are:
- Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC): Christopher Maikalangu (APC) — 40,295 votes
- Bwari Area Council: Joshua Ishaku (APC) — 18,466 votes
- Abaji Area Council: Umar Abdullahi Abubakar (APC) — 15,536 votes
- Kwali Area Council: Daniel Nuhu (APC) — 17,032 votes
- Kuje Area Council: Danjuma Shekwolo Samuel (APC) — 17,269 votes
- Gwagwalada Area Council: Mohammed Kasim (PDP) — 22,165 votes
The outcome reflects APC’s dominance in the FCT council elections, securing five out of six chairmanship seats, while PDP clinched Gwagwalada.
Polling Process and Logistics
INEC commended residents of the FCT for their peaceful conduct throughout the election.
According to the Commission’s Election Operations Dashboard, 45 percent of polling units opened by 8:30am, while all polling units were operational by 10:00am on election day.
However, the Commission acknowledged that some voters experienced difficulty locating their designated polling units.
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Clarification on Polling Unit Adjustments
INEC dismissed claims that voters were moved to new polling units, clarifying instead that it created split polling units in areas where registered voters exceeded 1,250 in order to reduce congestion.
The Commission explained that the split units were located just a few metres from the original polling units within the same premises.
INEC added that the voters’ register was displayed days before the election, while SMS and email reminders were sent between February 18 and 21 to help voters locate their correct polling units.
Result Upload and Transparency
The electoral body disclosed that as of 2:00pm on Sunday, February 22, about 93 percent of polling unit results had been uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
The Commission urged the public to verify results from the six Area Councils through the portal.
Voter Turnout Improves Despite Apathy
While expressing concern over voter apathy, INEC noted a significant improvement in turnout compared to the 2022 Area Council elections.
- 2022 election: 148,685 voters (9.4%)
- 2026 election: over 239,210 voters (about 15% of 1,680,315 registered voters)
The Commission described the increase as a positive indication of growing public confidence in the democratic process.
Reason for Delay in Kuje Result
INEC attributed the delay in announcing the Kuje Area Council result to difficult terrain in Kabi Ward, which slowed down the final collation process.
INEC Commends Voters
The Commission thanked residents of the FCT for their cooperation and participation, noting that the turnout across the six Area Councils demonstrates continued public trust in Nigeria’s democratic and electoral system.
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