FCT Polls: INEC Cracks Down on Vote Buying, Deploys EFCC, ICPC

FCT Polls: INEC Cracks Down on Vote Buying, Deploys EFCC, ICPC

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has declared a firm stance against vote buying ahead of the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections, announcing that anti-graft agencies will be stationed at polling units to arrest offenders.

Addressing political party leaders, candidates, security agencies, civil society groups and the media at a stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, Amupitan said the Commission had given an express mandate to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to deploy personnel across polling units on Election Day.

“Any individual found buying or selling votes will be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the law,” he warned, stressing that vote trading undermines the sanctity of the ballot and erodes public confidence in democratic institutions.

The FCT Area Council Elections are scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026, and will involve 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units in the six Area Councils of Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.

A total of 570 candidates are contesting 68 constituencies, including Chairmanship, Vice-Chairmanship and 62 Councilorship seats. Amupitan described the exercise as significant, noting that the FCT poll remains the only local government election conducted by INEC and has become a benchmark for state electoral commissions across the country.

He disclosed that the Commission had successfully implemented 11 of the 13 activities listed in its timetable, with only the close of campaigns; slated for midnight on Thursday, February 19 and the election itself remaining.

INEC also confirmed that 106,099 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were collected during the distribution exercise which ended on February 10, reflecting strong voter interest in the process.

To enhance transparency, 89 domestic and international observer groups, alongside 700 journalists from 72 media organisations, have been accredited to monitor and report on the election.

On logistics and personnel, the Commission said 11,873 Polling Unit Officials would be deployed, supported by supervisory and technical staff across the Territory. A total of 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles and 14 boats have been arranged to ensure timely movement of personnel and materials.

Amupitan added that the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be used in all polling units, with results uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal. A mock accreditation conducted in 289 polling units yielded satisfactory results, he said.

Reaffirming the Commission’s neutrality, the INEC Chairman stressed that the electoral body had no preferred candidate or political party.

“Our mandate is clear: to provide the enabling environment for residents of the Federal Capital Territory to freely choose their representatives,” he said.

He called on political parties to rein in their supporters, urged security agencies to remain professional and impartial, and encouraged voters to turn out peacefully.

With more than 1.6 million voters expected to cast their ballots, Amupitan said all stakeholders must work together to ensure that votes are cast freely, counted accurately and reflected transparently.

“Our collective duty is to ensure that this election remains peaceful, credible and widely accepted,” he said.