In preparation for the council elections set for February, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reported that the count of registered voters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has climbed to 1,680,315.
During a recent meeting with political party stakeholders in Abuja, FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aminu Idris, emphasized that this update was a vital constitutional step in INEC’s electoral preparations.
Idris detailed that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) campaign across the country resumed on August 18, 2025, beginning with on online pre- registration phase, followed by physical registration which started on September 29, 2025.
“In line with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act, 2022, the CVR process in the FCT was paused on October 12, 2025, to facilitate the Commission’s update of the Voter Register for the Area Council elections,” he stated.
He elaborated that the revision procedure, conducted as per Section 10(6) of the Electoral Act, involved a thorough biometric de-duplication of the voter list, public display for modifications and objections, and the creation of a supplementary voter list. The newly revised registration list now replaces all previous versions.
Idris noted that the number of registered voters has increased from 1,570,307 in 2023 to 1,680,315, and he confirmed that detailed statistics were shared with political party representatives during the meeting.
Moreover, he provided an overview of INEC’s progress in readiness for the February 21, 2026 elections, which will see 62 councillorship positions and six chairmanship roles filled across the FCT. Key preparatory actions include overseeing party primaries, announcing final candidates' lists, monitoring campaigns, managing non-sensitive materials, implementing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), and conducting voter education and stakeholder interactions in collaboration with security forces through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
The Resident Electoral Commissioner urged political entities and candidates to maintain the current peace in the FCT and to ramp up efforts in mobilizing voters prior to the elections.
He also announced that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) for newly registered individuals, along with those who applied for transfers or updates during the CVR, have been delivered to the FCT. INEC is expected to soon disclose the schedule for PVC collection.
In another development, INEC has resumed the Continuous Voter Registration process in Anambra State. The previous suspension was in effect from July 20, 2025, until the Commission could clean up the voter register and produce PVCs ahead of the November 8, 2025, governorship election in Anambra.
The renewal of the CVR at Anambra's office and across its 21 local government offices will facilitate eligible citizens to register, update their details, request replacements for lost or damaged PVCs, and transfer their voting locations prior to the 2027 general elections.
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