The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that more than 1.58 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in preparation for the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
In a statement issued on Thursday, signed by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the commission reported a strong turnout during the PVC collection exercise, reflecting high voter readiness for the polls.
As of February 10, 2026, a total of 1,680,315 voters were registered in the FCT, out of which 1,587,025 PVCs had been collected — representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate. The remaining 93,290 cards were yet to be collected.
INEC provided a breakdown by area council:
- Abaji: 75,517 PVCs collected out of 79,471 registered voters (95.0%)
- Bwari: 276,360 of 295,711 (93.5%)
- Gwagwalada: 196,184 of 208,057 (94.3%)
- Kuje: 144,109 of 148,286 (97.2%) – the highest collection rate
- Kwali: 99,774 of 107,203 (93.1%)
- Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC): 795,081 of 841,587 (94.5%)
The commission noted that several Registration Areas recorded collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, highlighting strong grassroots engagement across the territory.
INEC commended FCT residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises, stating that the figures indicate a high level of preparedness for the elections. The commission reiterated that only registered voters with valid PVCs would be allowed to cast their ballots.
The FCT Area Council elections are unique in Nigeria as they are conducted directly by INEC rather than state electoral commissions. Voters across the six councils — Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali — will elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across 68 constituencies.
For the elections, 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 will be enforced from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on election day, and security agencies have confirmed extensive deployments to maintain order. Campaign activities officially ended at midnight on February 19, two days before the polls.
