The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has assured residents that results of the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections will be transmitted electronically to the INEC Result Viewing (IREV) portal in line with existing laws.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja on Wednesday, Amupitan disclosed that 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to participate in Saturday’s polls across the six Area Councils of Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
INEC will deploy 11,873 polling unit officials across 2,822 polling units, supported by supervisory and technical staff to ensure smooth conduct of the election. The commission also confirmed the upgrade and full deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) in all polling units.
“All required BVAS devices, including backups, have been thoroughly tested and fully charged,” the chairman said, adding that a mock accreditation exercise conducted in 289 polling units yielded satisfactory results.
For logistics, 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles and 14 boats have been mobilised to guarantee timely distribution of personnel and materials. Polling units are expected to open at 8:30 a.m. sharp.
Amid preparations, INEC issued a stern warning against vote buying. The commission revealed it is collaborating with the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) to monitor polling units.
“Any individual found buying or selling votes will be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the law,” Amupitan warned, stressing that vote trading undermines the sanctity of the ballot.
To ensure transparency, INEC has accredited 89 domestic and foreign observer groups, alongside 700 journalists from 72 media organisations to monitor and cover the election.
The chairman reiterated that INEC has no preferred candidate or political party, emphasising that its constitutional mandate is to provide a level playing field for voters to freely choose their representatives.
The FCT Area Council election remains the only local government poll conducted by INEC, often regarded as a benchmark for State Independent Electoral Commissions nationwide.
With 570 candidates contesting 68 constituencies — including Chairmanship, Vice-Chairmanship and 62 Councillorship seats — the scale of the exercise underscores its importance for grassroots democracy.
As February 21 approaches, INEC called on political parties, security agencies, observers, media and voters to uphold professionalism, neutrality and peace to ensure a credible and widely accepted outcome.