- INEC revealed that 1,587,025 voters in the FCT had collected their PVCs, representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate
- The commission commended residents for strong participation and confirmed readiness for a free and credible poll
- Minister Nyesom Wike declared a work-free day and imposed movement restrictions to ensure smooth elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 1.5 million registered voters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, 21 February 2026.
In a statement issued on Thursday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission disclosed that as of the close of PVC collection on 10 February, 1,587,025 voters out of 1,680,315 registered in the FCT had collected their cards.
According to INEC, this represents a 94.4 per cent collection rate, with 93,290 PVCs yet to be claimed.
Providing a breakdown by Area Council, the commission stated that Abaji recorded 75,517 collected PVCs out of 79,471 registered voters, representing a 95.0 per cent collection rate. Bwari Area Council recorded 276,360 collections out of 295,711 registered voters, translating to 93.5 per cent.
In Gwagwalada, 196,184 PVCs were collected out of 208,057 registered voters, representing 94.3 per cent. Kuje posted what INEC described as an outstanding performance, with 144,109 collected PVCs out of 148,286 registered voters, amounting to a 97.2 per cent collection rate. Kwali recorded 99,774 collections from 107,203 registered voters, representing 93.1 per cent, while the Municipal Area Council recorded 795,081 collected PVCs out of 841,587 registered voters, representing 94.5 per cent.
INEC further revealed that several Registration Areas recorded collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, underscoring what it described as strong grassroots engagement across the territory.
“The Commission commends voters in the FCT for their responsiveness and cooperation throughout the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises. The impressive figures recorded across the Area Councils indicate strong citizen readiness to participate in the electoral process,” the statement read.
The commission reiterated that only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be permitted to vote on Election Day. It assured residents that all necessary arrangements have been concluded to ensure a free, fair and credible poll.
Meanwhile, the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, declared Friday a work-free day and announced a restriction of movement from 8 p.m. on Friday until 6 p.m. on Saturday to facilitate smooth conduct of the elections.
Wike, speaking in a special broadcast on national television and radio, urged residents to participate actively in the democratic process. He noted that the measures were approved by President Bola Tinubu to enable voters travel to their respective communities and ensure orderly voting.
A total of 68 positions — comprising six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship roles — are being contested across the six Area Councils of the FCT.