INEC reports increment in turnouts compared to precious elections in FCT

INEC reports 15% turnout increment compared to precious elections in FCT

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said logistical hurdles in parts of Kuje Area Council slowed the release of final results from Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), even as it reported a higher voter turnout compared to previous council polls.

According to the commission, about 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 registered voters participated in the elections, a figure it described as an improvement on past exercises in the territory.

In a statement issued by its Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, INEC explained that the delay in collating results from Kuje stemmed from “the difficult terrain in one of the electoral wards,” which posed challenges for election officials.

The commission also addressed complaints from some residents who claimed they were unable to find their polling units.

It dismissed allegations that voters had been reassigned to unfamiliar locations.

INEC clarified that the confusion arose from the splitting of certain polling units, a move designed to decongest overcrowded centres and enhance voter access.

The commission stressed that no voter was migrated outside their original vicinity.

While commending FCT residents for the peaceful conduct of the exercise, INEC maintained that operational adjustments made ahead of the polls were aimed at improving efficiency and accessibility, not disenfranchising voters.

The statement reads: “The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) conducted elections on Saturday, 21st February 2026, for the positions of Chairman in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), as well as for 62 Councillorship seats.

“The results of the election were announced late Saturday except that of Kuje Area Council which was announced at 3:30pm on Sunday 22nd February 2026.
“The Commission appreciates the residents of the FCT for their peaceful conduct and cooperation throughout the electoral process.
“According to the Commission’s Election Operations Dashboard, 45% of polling units opened for voting as at 8:30am, while all polling units were confirmed open by 10:00am on Election Day.

“The Commission, however, noted challenges encountered by some voters in locating their designated polling units.

“Contrary to the claim in some quarters that some voters were migrated to another/ new polling units different from their original polling units, the Commission wishes to state categorically that voters were not migrated, what the commission did was to create split polling units in large polling units with voters registration of over 1,250 voters to avoid congestion on election day. The split units are located some few meters away from the original polling units within the same premises.
“The public will recall that the commission displayed the Register of Voters at designated centres/split polling units four days to the Area Council elections to enable voters confirm their details and polling unit locations. Text messages/emails were sent to the affected voters on Wednesday 18th, Thursday 19th, Friday 20th and Saturday 21st February 2026 indicating the actual locations of their split polling units, were intended solely as reminders to assist them in identifying their current polling units.

“The commission also wishes to inform the public that as at 2:00pm on Sunday, 22nd February 2026, the upload of polling unit results to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal had reached 93%. Residents of the FCT and other interested members of the public can access results from the six Area Councils via the portal.
“While the commission remains concerned about voter apathy, it notes a significant improvement compared to the previous election. In the 2022 Area Council election, a total of 148,685 voters were recorded, representing 9.4% of registered voters.
“In the current election, over 239,210 voters voted, representing approximately 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 total registered voters in the FCT.

“The delay in the results of Kuje Area Council is due to the difficult terrain of Kabi ward, which delayed the final collation of the Area Council results.
“The Commission appreciates the electorate in the FCT for their cooperation and participation throughout the process. The participation recorded across the six Area Councils is indicative of citizens’ continued trust in building democracy and the electoral system”.