INEC Chairman Pledges Confidence in FCT Election Readiness, Urges Staff to Redeem Image through Performance

Oru Leonard 

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Area Council election scheduled for Saturday 21st February 2026.

Prof. Amupitan stated this on Tuesday, 17th February 2026, at the end of his readiness assessment visit to Kuje, Gwagwalada and Bwari Area Councils. The visit, which underscored the importance the Commission attaches to the election, was undertaken alongside nine National Commissioners, the Acting Director-General of The Electoral Institute (TEI), his Technical Aides and selected Directors of the Commission.

Addressing journalists after inspecting facilities and interacting with staff, the Chairman said the Commission must consciously restore public confidence in the electoral process through performance.

“We must begin to redeem our image through what we do, not necessarily what we say,” he stated. “From the reports given to us and what we have verified, I am quite satisfied.”

He disclosed that the readiness reports presented by the Electoral Officers (EOs) indicated a high level of preparedness. One of the Area Councils reported 99.9 per cent readiness; Kuje reported 90.8 per cent; while another declared 100 per cent preparedness for the election.

According to the Chairman, the Commission went beyond verbal assurances by physically verifying the availability and condition of materials.

“All the materials have been batched. The non-sensitive materials are ready. I personally went inside the stores to confirm that everything is in place,” he said, adding that the level of preparation leaves no room for excuses or lapses on election day.

The Electoral Officers of Kuje, Mr. Yakubu Allawa; Gwagwalada, Mr. Bola Abdullahi; and Bwari, Mrs. Gloria Adebayo-Stephen, assured the Chairman of their full readiness for the poll. They confirmed that all non-sensitive materials had been batched and that they had received the necessary logistical and administrative support from the Commission to conduct a free, fair and credible election.

They further informed him that staff across the Area Councils are energised, focused and determined to raise the bar of credibility in the conduct of the FCT election. Training of ad hoc staff has been concluded, deployment arrangements finalised and collaboration with security agencies strengthened to ensure seamless operations.

Prof. Amupitan commended the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT and the management team for effective coordination, particularly the decentralisation of operations to the Area Council level, which he described as a practical demonstration of administrative efficiency.

He reiterated that the true measure of readiness would be evident on Election Day through early activation of Registration Area Centres (RACs), timely deployment of personnel and materials, and commencement of accreditation and voting at 8.30am as scheduled.

The INEC Chairman emphasised that peaceful conduct of the election remains non-negotiable and called on security agencies to ensure robust deployment, especially in identified flashpoints, to guarantee the safety of voters, election personnel and materials.

He also stressed the importance of proper result management, directing that results be counted and declared at polling units in accordance with the Electoral Act, entered into the prescribed forms and transmitted promptly to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.

On the use of technology, Prof. Amupitan dismissed insinuations that the Commission was experimenting with result transmission.

“Since 2022, we have been transmitting results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). The BVAS is capable of accreditation and uploading and transmitting results to the portal. Definitely, the results will be transmitted,” he affirmed.

He reminded staff that INEC officials are bound by an oath of neutrality and must discharge their constitutional responsibilities with professionalism and integrity.

As part of activities lined up ahead of the election, the Chairman is expected to hold an expanded stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday, 18th February 2026, to further engage political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, the media and other critical actors in the electoral process.

The FCT Area Council election, the only local government election conducted by INEC, continues to serve as a benchmark for similar elections conducted by State Independent Electoral Commissions across the country. The Commission has reiterated its determination to ensure that the 21st February 2026 election is free, fair, credible, inclusive and reflective of the will of the people.

(INEC Media)