INEC Publishes FCT Voters Register Ahead of Area Council Polls, Resumes CVR in Anambra

By Iyojo Ameh

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has published and formally presented the revised Register of Voters for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) in preparation for the February 21, 2026, Area Council Elections, with the total number of registered voters rising to 1,680,315.

The register was presented in Abuja on Wednesday, January 14, 2026, at a stakeholders’ meeting with political parties.

Speaking at the event, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, Malam Aminu Idris, described the presentation as a constitutional obligation and a key step in INEC’s preparations for the polls.

Malam Idris recalled that the Commission resumed the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on August 18, 2025, beginning with online pre-registration, before rolling out physical registration nationwide on September 29, 2025.

He explained that in line with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the CVR exercise in the FCT was suspended on October 12, 2025, to enable the Commission revise the voters register for the Area Council elections.

According to him, the revision exercise, conducted pursuant to Section 10(6) of the Electoral Act, involved biometric de-duplication of entries, public display of the register for claims and objections, as well as the compilation of a supplementary list. He noted that the newly revised register now replaces all previous registers.

The REC disclosed that the number of registered voters in the FCT increased from 1,570,307 in 2023 to 1,680,315, adding that a breakdown of the figures had been made available to political parties.

He also briefed stakeholders on INEC’s readiness for the February 21, 2026, election, which will see voters elect six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councillors across the FCT. He listed steps already taken by the Commission to include monitoring of party primaries, publication of final candidates’ lists, commencement of campaign monitoring, receipt of non-sensitive election materials, activation of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), intensified voter education and sensitisation, stakeholder engagements, and collaboration with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES)
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Malam Idris urged political parties and candidates to maintain the prevailing peace in the FCT and intensify voter mobilisation ahead of the election.

He further announced that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for newly registered voters, as well as for those who applied for transfers or updates during the CVR exercise, have arrived in the FCT. He said the Commission would soon announce the date for the commencement of PVC collection.

Also, INEC has resumed the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in Anambra State.

The CVR exercise was suspended on July 20, 2025, to allow the Commission clean up the voters register and complete the production and distribution of PVCs ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election in the state.

With the resumption of registration at the Anambra State office and the 21 Local Government Area offices, eligible citizens can now register, update their personal information, apply for replacement of lost or damaged PVCs, and transfer their voting locations in preparation for the 2027 General Election.