FCT Election: 65 Candidates Battle for 6 Area Councils Seats

The chairmanship seats for the six area councils in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) will be decided on Saturday, 21 February 2026, with 65 candidates from 17 political parties vying for them. Voters in the FCT are set to elect leaders for six area councils namely: Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.

INEC noted that the election will be the second nationwide held under the supervision of Joash Amupitan, the current Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), who took office in October 2025 after the Anambra State Governorship Election.

The Federal Capital Territory’s council elections are expected to draw 1.6 million registered voters, up from 1.5 million in the 2023 general elections. Along with the chairmanship race, voters will elect representatives to 62 councillorship seats, for a total of 68 elective offices to be decided on Saturday.

According to Mr Amupitan, a total of 570 candidates would be contesting for various positions as the ballot exercise is expected to be conducted at 2,822 polling units.

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The Chairman of INEC also stated that 89 accredited observer groups and 700 journalists would monitor the voting process. He added that the commission had completed the deployment of upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices and strengthened logistics, including the provision of over 1,100 vehicles, 620 motorcycles, and 14 boats.

In a press statement, he stated that the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed across all 2,822 polling units in the Federal Capital Territory for voter accreditation, with results being uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal in accordance with established procedures.

He also stated that all BVAS devices designated for polling units, including those assigned to the 195 split polling units and an additional 5% backup, had been thoroughly tested and fully charged prior to election day. He added, “To strengthen public confidence, the commission also conducted a mock accreditation exercise using the improved BVAS in 289 polling units throughout the FCT.”

He expressed confidence in the system’s effectiveness and reliability, stating that the exercise resulted in a satisfactory outcome.

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Overview of the Candidates

A review of the compiled chairmanship list reveals that only three women are running for chairmanship positions among the 65 candidates fielded by various political parties across the six area councils.

The female candidates are: Aminu Abigirl of the Accord Party in Abaji Area Council, Recheal Elizabeth of the Action Democratic Party (ADP) in Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), and Musa Shekara of the Action Progressive Movement (APM) in Kuje Area Council.

Seven candidates are vying for the chairmanship seat in the Abaji Area Council. Bwari, Gwagwalada, and Kuje Area Councils each have 11 candidates in the race, while AMAC has the most, with 16. The Kwali Area Council has nine candidates vying for the position. The Federal Capital Territory Police Command has announced a 12-hour restriction on movement across the territory from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. on election day. The directive exempts essential service providers and fully accredited election officials.