By Ayomide Otitoju
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 1.58 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
The update was contained in a statement on Thursday by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, noting that the high PVC collection rate reflects strong voter readiness for the polls.
As of the close of collection on February 10, 2026, a total of 1,680,315 voters were registered in the FCT. Of this number, 1,587,025 PVCs had been collected, representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate, while 93,290 cards remained uncollected.
Breakdown by area councils showed encouraging participation levels:
Abaji – 75,517 PVCs collected from 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%)
INEC noted that several registration areas recorded collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, signalling strong grassroots engagement. The commission commended residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises.
“Only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be allowed to vote on Election Day,” the statement emphasised, adding that all arrangements have been completed to ensure a free, fair, and credible process.
The FCT Area Council elections are unique as the only local government polls in Nigeria 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.
INEC confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed in all polling units, with results transmitted electronically to the Result Viewing Portal. Movement restrictions will be enforced from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., while security agencies will maintain extensive deployments to ensure order.
Campaign activities officially ended at midnight on February 19, two days before the polls.
