…FCT Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said the deployment is being carried out in collaboration with sister agencies,
ABUJA, NIGERIA- The iNews Times | Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections will see the deployment of Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines across all polling units, as the Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed that results will also be uploaded to the Result Viewing Portal to enhance transparency.
The INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Wednesday at a high-level stakeholders’ meeting, where he detailed the commission’s level of preparedness and reaffirmed its resolve to conduct a peaceful, transparent and credible poll.
Amupitan revealed that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission would be stationed at polling areas to curb vote buying and other electoral offences. He warned that anyone caught engaging in vote trading would face arrest and prosecution.
To ensure smooth logistics, the commission will deploy 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles and 14 boats for the movement of personnel and materials, stressing that there must be no operational lapses on election day. He also emphasised that INEC remains neutral and has no preferred political party or candidate, stating that its sole responsibility is to create an enabling environment for residents of the FCT to freely elect their representatives.
The commission has scheduled February 21, 2026, for the elections across the six area councils of the FCT. A total of 2,822 polling units have been designated, with four officials, one Presiding Officer and three Assistant Presiding Officers assigned to each unit, bringing the number of ad hoc personnel to at least 11,288.
INEC said 3,345 BVAS devices would be deployed to support accreditation and result transmission. Supervisory Presiding Officers will coordinate ward-level activities, while sensitive materials such as ballot papers, BVAS machines and result sheets will be moved early to council offices to prevent delays.
According to a senior INEC official, the materials would undergo thorough checks before being transported to council offices to ensure a seamless voting process.
Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force has announced a restriction of movement across the FCT from 6:00 am to 6:00 pm on election day, with exemptions granted only to essential service providers and election officials.
In a statement, FCT Police spokesperson Josephine Adeh said the deployment is being carried out in collaboration with sister agencies, including the Nigerian Army, Nigerian Air Force, Nigerian Navy, Department of State Services, and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
She urged residents to comply with security directives and assured voters of adequate protection to enable them exercise their civic rights without fear.
The Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, directed officers to maintain professionalism, impartiality and vigilance while ensuring adequate security at polling units and collation centres.
As campaigns intensify, 17 political parties have fielded 637 candidates to contest 68 elective positions across 62 wards, with 1,680,315 registered voters expected to participate. The elections will hold in Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, Kwali and Abaji.
Major parties such as the All Progressives Congress, Peoples Democratic Party, Labour Party, Social Democratic Party and the African Democratic Congress are locked in keen contests, particularly in Abuja Municipal and Bwari, with political stakeholders describing the exercise as a test run for the 2027 general elections.
