RismadarVoice Reporters
January 14, 2026
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has published and presented the revised Register of Voters for the Federal Capital Territory ahead of the February 21, 2026, Area Council Election, with the total number of registered voters now standing at one million, six hundred and eighty thousand, three hundred and fifteen.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, disclosed this in a statement on Wednesday, following the presentation of the register at a stakeholders’ meeting with political parties in Abuja.
Speaking at the meeting, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the FCT, Malam Aminu Idris, described the revision of the voters’ register as a critical constitutional requirement in the Commission’s preparations for the polls.
He recalled that INEC resumed the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise on August 18, 2025, beginning with online pre-registration, before physical registration commenced nationwide on September 29, 2025.
According to him, the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in the FCT was suspended on October 12, 2025, in line with the Electoral Act, to allow for the revision of the register ahead of the Area Council Election.
Malam Idris explained that the revision process involved biometric de-duplication, public display of the register for claims and objections, and the compilation of a supplementary list of voters.
He noted that the revised register, which now supersedes all previous versions, shows an increase from the one million, five hundred and seventy thousand, three hundred and seven voters recorded in 2023.
The INEC boss also briefed stakeholders on the Commission’s preparedness for the election, which will fill sixty-two councillorship seats and six chairmanship positions across the FCT.
He said activities already carried out include monitoring of party primaries, publication of final lists of candidates, commencement of campaign monitoring, receipt of non-sensitive materials, voter education and sensitisation, and collaboration with security agencies.
Malam Idris urged political parties and candidates to maintain peace and intensify voter mobilisation ahead of the polls.
He also announced that Permanent Voter Cards for newly registered voters, as well as those who requested transfers or updates, have arrived in the FCT, adding that INEC will soon announce the date for PVC collection.
Meanwhile, INEC has resumed the Continuous Voter Registration exercise in Anambra State after it was suspended in July 2025 ahead of the governorship election.
The resumption is expected to give eligible voters the opportunity to register, update their records, replace lost or damaged PVCs, and transfer their voting locations in preparation for the 2027 General Election.
