Prosper Okoye
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says more than 1.58 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the Federal Capital Territory ahead of council elections scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026.
The commission’s update, issued on Thursday, was signed by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna. It said the exercise recorded a high turnout, signalling strong voter readiness for the polls.
As of the close of collection on 10 February, the FCT had 1,680,315 registered voters. Of these, 1,587,025 PVCs had been collected, representing 94.4 per cent, while 93,290 cards remained uncollected.
Join our WhatsApp ChannelThe commission highlighted strong participation across the six area councils:
Abaji: 75,517 PVCs collected from 79,471 registered voters (95.0%).
Bwari: 276,360 collected from 295,711 (93.5%).
Gwagwalada: 196,184 collected from 208,057 (94.3%).
Kuje: 144,109 collected from 148,286 (97.2%), the highest rate.
Kwali: 99,774 collected from 107,203 (93.1%).
Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC): 795,081 collected from 841,587 (94.5%).
Several registration areas reportedly recorded collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, demonstrating strong grassroots engagement.
INEC commended residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises. The statement emphasised that “only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be allowed to vote on Election Day,” and that all necessary arrangements had been concluded to ensure a free, fair, and credible process.
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The FCT council elections are the only local government polls in Nigeria conducted directly by INEC rather than state electoral commissions. Voters across the six councils will elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across 68 constituencies.
The commission confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed in all polling units, with results transmitted electronically to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal.
Movement restrictions are expected from 06:00 to 18:00 on election day, while security agencies have confirmed extensive deployments to maintain order. Campaigning officially ended at midnight on 19 February, two days before voters head to the polls.
Prosper Okoye is a Correspondent and Research Writer at Prime Business Africa, a Nigerian journalist with experience in development reporting, public affairs, and policy-focused storytelling across Africa
