The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is stepping up preparations for the upcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council Elections, set for 21 February 2026, while also laying the groundwork for key electoral activities ahead of the 2027 General Election.
Speaking at the 2026 Regular Stakeholders’ Meeting with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, described the year as “pivotal,” stressing the need for tight security coordination, intelligence gathering, and strong inter-agency collaboration to ensure peaceful, credible, and transparent elections nationwide.
Amupitan said preparations for the FCT polls are largely complete. This includes the delivery of non-sensitive electoral materials, training of election and security personnel, configuration of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices, and a mock accreditation exercise scheduled for 7 February 2026.
Looking beyond the FCT elections, INEC plans to conduct by-elections in Rivers and Kano States, off-cycle governorship elections in Ekiti and Osun States, and a nationwide voter revalidation exercise. The commission says these steps are aimed at strengthening the integrity of the electoral process ahead of 2027.
