INEC Concludes FCT Area Council Elections, Records Improved Voter Turnout
Oru Leonard
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has successfully conducted elections for the Chairmanship positions in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), alongside 62 Councillorship seats.
The elections were held on Saturday, February 21, 2026, with results from five Area Councils announced later that day. However, the result for Kuje Area Council was declared at 3:30 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, following delays attributed to challenging terrain in Kabi Ward, which slowed final collation.
Polling Units Opened Early, Minor Logistical Hitches Reported
According to INEC’s Election Operations Dashboard, 45 percent of polling units were open as of 8:30 a.m. on Election Day, with full deployment achieved by 10:00 a.m.
The Commission acknowledged that some voters experienced difficulty locating their designated polling units. However, it clarified reports suggesting that voters were migrated to new polling units.
INEC stated that no voter was relocated. Instead, the Commission created split polling units in locations with more than 1,250 registered voters to ease congestion. These split units were situated only a few meters away from the original polling units within the same premises.
To ensure voter awareness, the Commission displayed the Register of Voters at designated centres and split polling units four days before the election. Additionally, text messages and emails were sent to affected voters from February 18 to 21 as reminders of their polling unit locations.
93% of Results Uploaded to IReV Portal
INEC disclosed that as of 2:00 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 93 percent of polling unit results had been uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal.
The public can access results from all six Area Councils online through the portal.
Voter Turnout Improves Compared to 2022
While expressing concern over voter apathy, INEC noted a marked improvement in turnout compared to the 2022 Area Council elections.
In 2022, a total of 148,685 voters participated, representing 9.4 percent of registered voters. In the 2026 election, over 239,210 voters cast their ballots—approximately 15 percent of the 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT.
The Commission described the increased participation as a sign of growing public confidence in Nigeria’s democratic process and electoral system.
Available figures and breakdown from the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections held on 21 February 2026 fir Chairmanship, based on results announced by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), are as follows:
Overall Election Structure (FCT 2026)
Total elective positions contested: 68 (6 Area Council Chairmen + 62 Councillors).
Registered voters in FCT: about 1,680,315
Polling Units: 2,822 across the six area councils.
Parties contesting: 17 parties fielded candidates across chairmanship and councillorship seats.
Chairmanship Results by Area Council
Here’s the breakdown of results for the 6 area council chairmanship positions:
Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC)
APC – Christopher Maikalangu: 40,295 votes; ADC – 12,109 votes; PDP – 3,398 votes + others
Total valid votes: ~62,861 voted in chairmanship poll.
Gwagwalada Area Council
PDP – Mohammed Kasim: 22,165 votes; APC – Yahaya Shehu: 17,788 votes; APGA – 1,687; ADC – 1,366; others
Registered voters: ~207,577
Accredited voters: 46,294
Valid votes: 43,960
Rejected votes: 1,521
Bwari Area Council
APC – Joshua Ishaku: 18,466 votes; ADC – 4,254; ZLP – 3,515; others lower
Abaji Area Council
APC – Umar Abdullahi Abubakar: 15,536 votes; PDP – 4,547 votes; ADC – 37
Kwali Area Council
APC – Nuhu Daniel: 17,032 votes; PDP – Haruna Pai: 8,575 votes
Kuje Area Council
APC – Danjuma Shekwolo: 17,269 votes; PDP – 15,824; APGA – 4,305
Summary of Chairmanship
All Progressives Congress (APC)
5 (AMAC, Abaji, Bwari, Kwali, Kuje)
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP)
1 (Gwagwalada)
Councillorship Seats
Elections were held for 62 councillor seats across the six area councils but detailed seat-by-seat figures for councillors are still being collated
Once INEC completes full upload on its Results Viewing Portal (IReV) and final official declaration, those numbers should also reflect how many councillors each party won.
INEC commended residents of the FCT for their peaceful conduct and cooperation throughout the electoral process, describing the overall exercise as orderly and successful.
The FCT Abuja election outcome may be a test for 2027 national elections, serving as a rehearsal for parties to mobilize support and assess grassroots strength. APC’s performance is crucial, aiming to regain momentum after losing ground to Labour Party in 2023, and will be closely watched by observers.
