By Onyeanya Immaculata

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), will commence the distribution of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), this week ahead of the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Area Council elections.

INEC officials in Abuja said on Monday that the exercise is expected to run from Thursday to Sunday and will cover newly registered voters, as well as those who transferred their registration or updated their details during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), exercise.

The distribution follows the validation of 1,680,315 registered voters eligible to participate in the polls.

INEC suspended CVR activities in October 2025 to allow for biometric de-duplication, public display of the voters’ register, and the compilation of a supplementary list.

According to INEC records, about 93,868 PVCs remain uncollected at the commission’s FCT office. The commission said both newly produced cards and previously unclaimed PVCs would be made available at designated collection centres.

The Area Council elections will feature contests for 68 positions, six chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats across the six FCT councils. Candidates from 17 political parties have been cleared to participate.

INEC said it is also intensifying preparations, including voter education, campaign monitoring, BVAS deployment and security coordination, ahead of the polls.

By Huldah Shado

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has released the revised register of voters for the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), ahead of the Area Council Election scheduled for 21 February, with 1,680,315 registered voters.

INEC’s Director of Publicity and Voter Education, Victoria Eta-Messi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, noting that the updated register was presented to political parties at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja.

The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Aminu Idris, described the publication as a constitutional requirement and a key milestone in preparations for the election.

Idris said the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), exercise, which resumed nationwide on 18 August 2025, was suspended in the FCT on 12 October 2025 in line with the Electoral Act, 2022, to allow for the revision of the voter register.

He explained that the process included biometric de-duplication, public display of the register for claims and objections, and the compilation of a supplementary voters’ list.

The REC urged political parties and candidates to sustain the peaceful atmosphere in the FCT and intensify voter mobilisation ahead of the poll.

He also announced that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), for newly registered voters and those who applied for transfers or updates have been delivered to the FCT.

By Olokuta Rofiat

The All Democratic Alliance (ADA) has accused INEC of delaying its political party registration despite meeting all statutory requirements.

ADA leaders claim they submitted all necessary documents, but the commission has yet to formally recognize the party, raising concerns over transparency in Nigeria’s political party registration process.

INEC had pre-qualified 14 associations, including ADA, to proceed to the next registration stage after reviewing 171 applications, but final verification and legal checks are still pending.

Analysts note that meeting preliminary criteria does not guarantee full party status, and attention is now on how the process unfolds ahead of the 2027 general elections.