The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof Joash Amupitan, has warned against vote buying during the Saturday Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Polls, saying perpetrators will be prosecuted.
According to a statement shared via the commission’s official X handle, Amupitan assured residents of the FCT of a peaceful, transparent and credible poll slated for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ forum in Abuja, Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said over 1.6 million registered voters will vote across 2,822 polling units, with 570 candidates contesting 68 seats.
He emphasised that elections are a shared responsibility and warned that INEC has no preferred candidate.
The statement further revealed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed across polling units, and results will be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV).
The statement reads, “BVAS will be deployed in all polling units, with results uploaded to IReV. The Commission has accredited 89 observer groups and 700 journalists 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 the ground to curb vote buying and ensure safety.”
TVC News previously reported that ahead of the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections, security forces, including the Nigeria Police Force, Nigerian Army, Nigerian Navy, Nigerian Airforce and Department of State Services, have deployed troops across strategic locations throughout the Territory.
In a Wednesday statement on the official X handle of FCT Police Command spokesperson, the troops were deployed to ensure a peaceful, free and credible election across the territory.
