FCT Council Polls: INEC Begins Ward-Level Distribution of 128,396 PVCs

FCT Council Polls: INEC Begins Ward-Level Distribution of 128,396 PVCs

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced ward-level distribution of 128,396 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in preparation for the 2026 Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Malam Aminu Kasimu Idris, disclosed this on Tuesday, January 20, 2026, during a media briefing at the INEC FCT Conference Hall in Abuja, where he outlined arrangements for PVC collection and the Commission’s level of preparedness for the polls.

According to the REC, the in-person PVC collection exercise will run from Thursday, January 22 to Monday, January 26, 2026, between 9:00 a.m. and 3:00 p.m. daily in all 62 Registration Areas (wards) across the six Area Councils of the FCT. He added that uncollected PVCs would thereafter be available at INEC Area Council offices.

Malam Idris explained that the PVCs available for collection include those of newly registered voters, voters who transferred their registration into or within the FCT, those who applied for replacement of lost or defaced cards, as well as PVCs from previous registration exercises that were not collected.

He reiterated that the Permanent Voter Card remains the only valid means of voter accreditation, in accordance with Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended), stressing that PVCs must be collected personally and will not be issued by proxy.

Providing an update on voter registration, the REC said that following the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in the FCT on October 12, 2025, a total of 106,855 persons registered as new voters. After the mandatory deduplication process, 102,307 valid new voters were added to the register.

This, he said, brought the total number of registered voters in the FCT to 1,680,315, compared to 1,570,307 recorded during the 2023 General Election. He also disclosed that the FCT recorded 8,476 voter transfers into the territory and 775 transfers out.

On preparedness for the election, Malam Idris assured residents that INEC has made considerable progress in line with its election timetable. He said activities already completed include the monitoring of party primaries and resolution of disputes, publication of the final list of candidates, monitoring of political campaigns, receipt and batching of non-sensitive election materials, activation of BVAS devices, and accreditation of observers, media organisations, polling agents and ad-hoc staff.

He added that the Commission has intensified voter education and sensitisation efforts, published the final register of voters, strengthened collaboration with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), commenced training of election security personnel, and engaged the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to ensure smooth logistics on election day.

The REC noted that INEC is mindful of the unique responsibility of conducting elections in the FCT, given its population size, terrain and security dynamics, assuring that these factors have been adequately addressed in the Commission’s operational planning.

He urged the media to continue supporting the Commission by disseminating accurate information, countering misinformation and encouraging eligible voters to collect their PVCs promptly.

Malam Idris reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to conducting a free, fair, inclusive and credible election in strict compliance with the Electoral Act, while thanking members of the press for their continued cooperation and professionalism.