By Patrick Idowu

No fewer than 1,680,315 registered voters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are set to vote across 2,822 polling units tomorrow to elect six Area Council chairmen and 62 councillors.

A total of 570 candidates are contesting for chairman, vice-chairman and councillorship positions under 17 political parties cleared by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

The elections will be held in Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali Area Councils.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), disclosed at a stakeholders’ meeting that 106,099 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were collected before the February 10 deadline.

He added that 89 observer groups and 700 journalists from 72 media organisations have been accredited.

According to him, 11,873 polling officials, alongside supervisory and technical staff, will be deployed, while the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used in all polling units. The commission has also arranged vehicles, motorcycles and boats for logistics.

Meanwhile, the FCT Police Command has announced a restriction of movement from 6am to 6pm on election day.

In a statement, Police Public Relations Officer, SP Josephine Adeh, said only essential and accredited election personnel would be exempted. She added that security operatives, including the Army, Air Force, Navy, DSS and NSCDC, have been deployed to ensure a peaceful poll.

The FCT Commissioner of Police, CP Miller Dantawaye, urged officers to maintain professionalism and provide adequate security at polling units and collation centres.

By Olokuta Rofiat

The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) has condemned the Senate’s decision on electronic transmission of election results, describing it as a “backdoor plot” capable of undermining electoral transparency.

In a statement issued by its National Publicity Secretary, the party faulted the Electoral Act amendment, particularly the provision allowing manual transmission of results where electronic upload fails.

The PDP argued that while the Senate approved electronic transmission, retaining manual alternatives creates loopholes that could be exploited to manipulate results.

It said Nigerians had demanded strict real-time electronic transmission from polling units to boost credibility and reduce post-election disputes, warning that any clause that weakens the requirement could erode public confidence.

The party urged the National Assembly to adopt a clearer and stronger provision during the harmonisation process between the Senate and the House of Representatives, ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Senate’s position has continued to draw mixed reactions from political stakeholders and civil society groups.

By Onyeanya Ebere Immaculata

The Senate on Wednesday approved an amendment to the Electoral Act, reducing the period within which the Independent National Electoral Commission is required to publish a notice of election from 360 days to 180 days.

The decision was taken during clause by clause consideration of the Electoral Act Amendment Bill after lawmakers adopted an amendment moved by the Chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary, Human Rights and Legal Matters, Senator Tahir Monguno.

Senators, sitting as the Committee of the Whole, considered all 155 clauses of the bill and approved the legislation after adopting the committee’s report.

The session, which lasted about four and a half hours, was the only item on the Senate’s Order Paper for the day, following a valedictory session in honour of late former lawmaker, Okey Ezea.

The reduction in the election notice period is expected to give INEC more operational flexibility while still allowing political parties, candidates and other stakeholders adequate time to prepare ahead of elections.