INEC Closes FCT Polls, Reports Significant Uptick In Voter Engagement

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has concluded the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections held on Saturday, 21 February 2026, announcing a marked improvement in voter participation compared to previous polls.

The elections covered Chairmanship positions across all six Area Councils and 62 Councillorship seats.

According to Wilfred Ifogah, Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, said the results for most councils were announced late Saturday, while the outcome for the Kuje Area Council was released at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday due to delays caused by the difficult terrain of Kabi Ward.

INEC disclosed that 45% of polling units had opened by 8:30 a.m. on Election Day, and all units were confirmed open by 10:00 a.m.

The Commission acknowledged that some voters experienced challenges locating their assigned polling units but dismissed claims that voters were relocated to entirely new sites.

Instead, the Commission clarified that it merely created split polling units in large voting centers with over 1,250 registered voters to reduce congestion.

These split units, it noted, were positioned only a few meters from the original locations within the same premises.

To assist voters, INEC displayed the Register of Voters four days before the election and sent reminder text messages and emails between 18–21 February to help voters confirm their polling unit locations.

The Commission further announced that as of 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, 93% of polling-unit results had been uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, enabling residents and observers to view results from all six Area Councils.

Despite lingering nationwide concerns about voter apathy, INEC reported a significant improvement in turnout. The 2022 Area Council elections recorded 148,685 voters, just 9.4% of registered voters. In contrast, more than 239,210 voters participated in the 2026 polls, representing roughly 15% of the FCT’s 1,680,315 registered voters.

INEC expressed appreciation to FCT residents for their peaceful conduct, cooperation, and increasing engagement with the electoral process.

The Commission said the improved turnout demonstrates renewed public trust in Nigeria’s democratic and electoral systems.