INEC Tasks Media with Boosting Voter Awareness Ahead of FCT Area Council Elections

In advance of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections on February 21, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the media to strengthen voter education, encourage professionalism, and respect ethical norms in election coverage.

The call was made Tuesday in Abuja at a forum for media executives, producers, reporters, and on-air personalities organized by the commission as part of its ongoing stakeholder engagement for the upcoming election. Malam Mohammed Haruna, the FCT’s Supervising National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), made the statement.

Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, the INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, emphasized in a statement released on Tuesday that responsible reporting and voter engagement are still essential to the legitimacy of elections.

Ten of the thirteen major tasks included in the calendar and schedule of activities for the election had been effectively completed, according to Haruna.

According to him, copies of the final voter registration, which was released on January 14, 2026, and given to all political parties running in the election, was the most recent significant event.

“The remaining activities are the Notice of Poll publication on February 7, the conclusion of political party campaigns on February 19, and Election Day on February 21,” he stated.

The media accreditation portal is still open until February 8, the national commissioner said, even though the observer accreditation site has closed. He urged media organizations that have not yet applied to do so as soon as possible to allow for the timely distribution of accreditation cards.

Regarding logistics, he disclosed that the commission had purchased almost all of the non-sensitive goods needed for the election and arranged them in batches based on the FCT’s 2,822 voting places, 62 wards, and six area councils.

In front of party agents, security services, civil society organizations, and the media on February 18, Haruna announced that sensitive materials, such as ballot papers and result sheets, will be printed ahead of time and formally received by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), FCT Branch.

He also revealed that sufficient Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices were being set up and ready to be installed in every polling place.

According to Haruna, Section 299 of the constitution applies to the FCT “as if it were one of the states of the federation,” despite the fact that FCT Area Council elections are comparable to local government elections held by State Independent Electoral Commissions.

He claimed that elections for the FCT Area Council are practically held similarly to those for governorships.

He emphasized that more people vote in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) than in Bayelsa and Ekiti States.

He continued by saying that the Territory’s position as Nigeria’s political capital inevitably draws attention from both domestic and foreign sources.

He emphasized that as this was the first FCT Area Council election since the Electoral Act increased the council’s term from three to four years, the commission was committed to doing everything in its power to guarantee a free, fair, and credible election.

Aminu Idris, the FCT’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), has characterized the forum as a critical platform for enhancing cooperation and coordinating expectations between INEC and the media prior to the elections.

He pointed out that public trust in elections is influenced not just by how the process is carried out but also by how it is covered and disseminated.

Idris stated that the assistance of an accountable and competent media is essential to INEC’s commitment to a peaceful, transparent, and inclusive election.

He revealed that INEC had authorized Danbaki Titus to be the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Igu Ward in Bwari Area Council after Zachariah James Danbaki, the original candidate, passed away.

In order to test election technology, such as BVAS accreditation, voting procedures, and fake result uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, Idris further declared that the commission would carry out a sham accreditation exercise in 289 chosen polling places among the six area councils.