INEC Urges Media to Intensify Voter Education Ahead of FCT Area Council Elections

Adedayo Akinwale in Abuja

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the media to intensify voter education, promote professionalism and uphold ethical standards in election coverage ahead of the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

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

INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, in a statement issued Tuesday, stressed that voter participation and responsible reportage remain key to the credibility of elections.

Haruna revealed that the commission had successfully conducted 10 of the 13 key activities outlined in the timetable and schedule of activities for the election. 

He said the most recent milestone was the publication of the final register of voters on January 14, 2026, copies of which had been distributed to all political parties participating in the election.

According to him, “The remaining activities are the publication of the Notice of Poll on February 7, the end of political party campaigns on February 19, and Election Day on February 21.”

The national commissioner noted that while the observer accreditation portal has closed, he noted that the media accreditation portal remains open until February 8, urging media organisations yet to apply to do so promptly to enable timely issuance of accreditation cards.

On logistics, he revealed that the commission had acquired virtually all non-sensitive materials required for the election and batched them according to the six area councils, 62 wards and 2,822 polling units in the FCT. 

Haruna said sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, would be printed ahead of time and formally received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), FCT Branch, on February 18, in the presence of party agents, security agencies, civil society organisations and the media.

He further disclosed that adequate Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were being configured and prepared for deployment to all polling units.

Haruna explained that although FCT Area Council elections are similar to local government elections conducted by State Independent Electoral Commissions, Section 299 of the constitution applies the constitution to the FCT “as if it were one of the states of the federation”.

“In practical terms, FCT Area Council elections are conducted like governorship elections,” he said.

He emphasised that the FCT’s voting population is larger than those of Bayelsa and Ekiti States. 

He added that the Territory’s status as the political capital of Nigeria naturally attracts national and international attention.

He stressed that as the first FCT Area Council election since the Electoral Act extended council tenure from three to four years, the commission was determined to leave no stone unturned to ensure a free, fair and credible poll.

Earlier, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Aminu Idris, described the forum as a strategic platform for strengthening collaboration and aligning expectations between INEC and the media ahead of the elections.

He noted that public confidence in elections is shaped not only by how the process is conducted, but also by how it is reported and communicated, 

Idris said INEC’s commitment to a peaceful, transparent and inclusive election cannot be achieved without the support of a responsible and professional media.

He disclosed that INEC had approved the replacement of the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Igu Ward in Bwari Area Council following the demise of the initial candidate, Zachariah James Danbaki, with Danbaki Titus.

Idris also announced that the commission would conduct a mock accreditation exercise in 289 selected polling units across the six area councils to test election technologies, including BVAS accreditation, voting procedures and dummy result uploads to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.