The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Professor Joash Amupitan, has assured residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) of a credible, transparent and well-organised Area Council election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, the INEC Chairman said the Commission has completed virtually all preparations for the polls, stressing that only the conclusion of campaigns and the conduct of the election remain.
According to him, the election will involve over 1.6 million registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils of Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
Amupitan said a total of 570 candidates will contest for Chairmanship, Vice-Chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats across 68 constituencies, describing the exercise as a major test of grassroots democracy.
He noted that the FCT Area Council election remains the only local government election conducted directly by INEC and has over the years served as a national reference point for credible local government polls.
The INEC boss revealed that the Commission has successfully implemented all activities listed in its 13-item timetable, including the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards, where over 106,000 PVCs were collected by residents.
He added that the Commission has accredited 89 domestic and international observer groups and about 700 journalists from 72 media organisations to monitor and report on the election process.
Amupitan also disclosed that nearly 12,000 polling officials have been trained and deployed, supported by supervisory officers, collation staff and technical teams to ensure efficient election day operations.
On technology deployment, he confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has been upgraded and will be used in all polling units, while results will be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal in line with established procedures.
He said mock accreditation exercises conducted in selected polling units across the FCT produced satisfactory outcomes, giving the Commission confidence in the reliability of the system.
Addressing logistics, the INEC Chairman said over 1,100 vehicles, 620 motorcycles and 14 boats have been secured for election duty, assuring that polling units will open promptly at 8:30am on election day.
Amupitan emphasised that INEC is neutral and has no preferred candidate, urging political parties and candidates to respect the rules and guide their supporters towards peaceful conduct.
He issued a strong warning against vote buying and selling, stating that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices Commission have been mandated to deploy personnel to polling units to arrest offenders.
According to him, vote trading undermines the sanctity of the ballot and will not be tolerated.
The INEC Chairman called on security agencies to remain professional, the media to report responsibly, observers to remain objective and voters to conduct themselves peacefully.
He concluded that the responsibility of ensuring a credible election rests on all stakeholders, expressing confidence that the FCT will once again set the standard for local government elections in Nigeria.
