THOUGHTS ON THE FCT ELECTIONS

By Nick Dazang

The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections, which took place on Saturday, 21st February 2026, elicited more than a casual interest by stakeholders.

This can be adjudged by the slew of observers and journalists accredited for the elections. Eighty nine observer groups and 700 journalists from 72 media organizations were accredited to cover the elections by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Stakeholders, especially political parties, are cognizant of the pivotal place of the FCT in their calibrations. In a presidential election, a winner, apart from scoring the highest votes cast in the election, is expected to secure a minimum of twenty five percent of the votes cast in at least two thirds of the States in the Federation and the FCT. This explains each party’s quest to make a significant mark on the FCT’s electoral map.

In time past, the FCT Area Council Elections had provided inklings into how the General Elections would pan out. They also served as a barometer to gauge INEC’s preparedness to conduct impending General Elections.

This year’s Area Council Elections were unique because they took place after the expiration of the first tenure of four years for FCT’s elected officials. Hitherto, and since 1999, Chairpersons and Councilors served tenures of three years.

This changed in 2022, following the Amendment of the Electoral Act.
The elections are also coinciding with the advent of Professor Joash Amupitan as Chairman of INEC. The elections thus provided a propitious opportunity for him to learn lessons, first hand, which will inform the conduct of two forthcoming off-cycle Governorship Elections in Ekiti and Osun States and the 2027 General Elections.

The elections were relatively peaceful, all thanks to the professionalism of the security agencies and INEC Staff.
Logistics, a perennial challenge, dogged the FCT Area Council Elections. A number of polling units, even in the Municipal Council, did not open until 10.00a.m. By the Commission’s admission, only 45% of polling units across the board had opened as at 8.30a.m. on Election Day. Others opened at 10.00a.m.

Though the FCT has 1,680,315 registered voters and 1,587,025, representing 94.4%, had collected their Permanent Voter Cards(PVCs), only a paltry 243,677 were accredited to vote. Voter turn out for the Area Councils varied. Abaji Area Council had the highest at 34.27; Bwari, 11.48; Gwagwalada, 22.25; Kuje, 26.84; Kwali, 28.65; and Municipal, which kept the rear, at 7.80. The total percentage turn out for the entire FCT comes to 14.50. Compared to a turn out of 9.4 in 2022, the last elections could be said to have moved the needle. But only by some inches.

The dismal voter turn out, which is a reflection of the country’s, is concerning. It diminishes our democracy’s luster.
Since 1999 when the Fourth Republic commenced, our elections have been defined by declining voter turnout. This trend speaks to, but is not limited to, a yawning disconnect between the leadership and the led, on the one hand, and trust issues between the voter and the Election Management Body(EMB), on the other.

Even though a number of arrests were made, vote trading menaced the elections. In most jurisdictions where it thrived, the security agencies benignly looked the other way.

The elections were not helped by the FCT Minister’s alleged efforts to clumsily meddle in the elections. He was alleged to have pressured, at the last minute, some candidates of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to step down.

Mr. Nyesom Wike, who has honed playing both ends of the street to an art, by being in the PDP and “ aligning” with the governing All Progressives Congress (APC), also overreached himself. A day before the election he made a broadcast which amounted to imposing a curfew on the FCT. He also usurped the role of the Police, which was supposed to, as the lead security agency for the elections, to announce the hours when citizens of the FCT would move before, and after the elections. As if these were not brazen enough, he reportedly proceeded on monitoring the elections, a role not provided for him in our electoral laws.

Going forward, and arising from the sundry challenges experienced in the conduct of the FCT Area Council Elections, the Commission needs to thoroughly review its logistics. The Commission’s plan was for vehicles, laden with Staff, Security agents and election materials, to depart Registration Area Centers (RACs) as early as 6.00 a.m.

This is to ensure that the vehicles arrived at polling units between 7.00 a.m to 7.30 a.m to facilitate setting up and opening of polls at 8.30 a.m. As it turned out, things didn’t go to plan as only 45% of PUs opened at 8.30 a.m. What this implies is that henceforth, vehicles should depart the RACs earlier, say, between 4.30 a.m. to 5.00 a.m. This additional time should take care of mechanical breakdowns, distant PUs and challenging terrains.

Before vehicles are deployed, they should be checked for road worthiness days in advance by Staff of the Federal Road Safety Commission(FRSC). Only vehicles certified worthy by the FRSC should be deployed. This will check instances of breakdowns of vehicles on Election Day.

Additionally, members of the National Union of Road Transport Workers(NURTW), the National Association of Road Transport Owners(NARTO) and the Marine Workers Union(MWU) should be impressed upon to view elections, not as harvest times or episodes to make financial killings, but as national duty. Such national duty calls for sacrifice, commitment and patriotism. And since INEC has an M.o.U. with these organizations, it should review it with a view to having consequences for willful non-compliance.

The Commission did well by informing voters whose polling units were split, to avoid congestion, through SMS and e-mails in lieu of the elections. It also mounted digital platforms (pula.inecnigeria.org and inecnigeria.org/location) several days ahead of the elections in respect of these split PUs. However, robust publicity ought to have followed these salutary efforts. This should be considered and factored in subsequent elections, as it would address complaints of disenfranchisement.

It is not enough that a number of vote traders were apprehended during the elections. They should be prosecuted and punished to the full extent of the law. Conscious effort should also be made to publicize their punishment so that it will serve as a deterrent to would-be perpetrators.

By its accounting, the Commission achieved 93% upload of polling unit results only on Sunday at 2.00p.m. This is what it ought to have attained on Election Day, not the day after. Timeous uploads are key because they will allay any suspicion that something untoward is being visited on the results. It will also invest the process with confidence and trust.