Abuja, Nigeria – Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has warned that vote buying and other electoral offences will not be tolerated during the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Amupitan assured residents of a peaceful, transparent and credible exercise. He disclosed that more than 1.6 million registered voters are expected to participate across 2,822 polling units, with 570 candidates contesting for 68 seats. He stressed that elections are a collective responsibility and reaffirmed that the Commission has no preferred candidate.
The INEC chairman said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed in all polling units, while results will be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) to enhance transparency. He added that 89 observer groups and 700 journalists have been accredited to monitor the process.
Security agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), will be on ground to curb vote buying and maintain security throughout the election.
