THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that over 1.5 million voters have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the six area councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the February 21, 2026, chairmanship and councillorship elections.
News Point Nigeria reports that the development comes as the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, declared Friday, February 20, 2026, a work-free day and imposed a restriction of movement from 8 pm on Friday to 6 pm on Saturday to ensure smooth conduct of the elections.
INEC had fixed February 21 for the election of chairmen and councillors in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Abaji and Kwali.
In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mr Muhammed Haruka, INEC disclosed that as of the close of PVC collection on February 10, 2026, a total of 1,680,315 voters were registered in the FCT.
Out of this figure, 1,587,025 PVCs have been collected representing an overall collection rate of 94.4 per cent — while 93,290 PVCs remain uncollected.
A breakdown across the area councils shows robust participation:
Abaji Area Council: 75,517 PVCs collected out of 79,471 registered voters (95.0%)
Bwari Area Council: 276,360 out of 295,711 (93.5%)
Gwagwalada Area Council: 196,184 out of 208,057 (94.3%)
Kuje Area Council: 144,109 out of 148,286 (97.2%)
Kwali Area Council: 99,774 out of 107,203 (93.1%)
Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC): 795,081 out of 841,587 (94.5%)
INEC noted that several Registration Areas recorded PVC collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, describing the figures as evidence of strong grassroots engagement and readiness for the polls.
“The commission commends voters in the FCT for their responsiveness and cooperation throughout the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises,” the statement read.
INEC reiterated that only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs would be allowed to vote.
“The commission has put all necessary arrangements in place to ensure a free, fair and credible election,” it added.
In a special broadcast aired on national television and radio stations, Wike urged residents to participate actively in the election.
With the approval of Bola Tinubu, the minister declared Friday a work-free day to enable residents to travel to their respective communities.
“Similarly, the President has approved the restriction of movement within the FCT from 8pm on Friday, February 20, to 6pm on Saturday, February 21, 2026,” Wike said, directing security agencies to ensure strict compliance.
He called on residents to conduct themselves peacefully and respect the outcome of the polls.
“We must show the world that we are a mature and responsible electorate, capable of conducting ourselves with dignity and decorum,” he stated.
A total of 68 elective positions are being contested — six chairmanship seats and 62 councillorship roles across the six area councils.
Political parties concluded their campaigns on Thursday evening, urging voters to turn out in large numbers.
However, the final hours before the election witnessed dramatic political shifts.
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) chairmanship candidate for AMAC, Zadna Dantani, withdrew from the race less than 24 hours before the election, declaring support for the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, Christopher Makaleng.
In a letter dated February 18 and addressed to INEC, Dantani confirmed his voluntary withdrawal after consultations with family and stakeholders.
He attributed his decision to the intervention of Wike, describing the contest as “a brotherhood election” and expressing support for the administration of President Tinubu.
Similarly, the PDP chairmanship candidate for Bwari Area Council, Julius Adamu, stepped down in favour of the APC candidate, Joshua Musa.
Meanwhile, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Social Democratic Party (SDP), Adewole Adebayo, insisted that Wike would not determine the outcome of the elections.
Campaigning in Apo for the SDP’s AMAC chairmanship candidate, Obinna Simon, popularly known as MC Tagwaye, Adebayo urged residents to resist any attempt to impose leadership from outside the FCT.
“In this city, given to us by God and written in our constitution as our capital city, we are the ones who will stay here. Government will come and go,” he told supporters.
Saturday’s elections are widely seen as a significant test of grassroots democracy in the nation’s capital.