The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 1.58 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

The update was disclosed in a statement issued Thursday by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who said the figures reflect strong voter preparedness for the polls.

INEC revealed that as of the close of PVC collection on February 10, 2026, the FCT had 1,680,315 registered voters, out of which 1,587,025 PVCs were collected — a 94.4 per cent collection rate. Only 93,290 PVCs remain uncollected.

A breakdown across the six area councils showed consistently high participation. Abaji Area Council recorded 75,517 PVCs collected out of 79,471 registered voters (95.0%). Bwari saw 276,360 collected from 295,711 registered voters (93.5%), while Gwagwalada recorded 196,184 out of 208,057 (94.3%).

Kuje Area Council posted the highest turnout, with 144,109 PVCs collected from 148,286 registered voters, representing 97.2 per cent. Kwali recorded 99,774 collections out of 107,203 registered voters (93.1%), while the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recorded 795,081 PVCs collected from 841,587 registered voters (94.5%).

INEC noted that several Registration Areas exceeded 99 per cent collection, pointing to strong grassroots mobilisation across the territory. The commission praised residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises.

The electoral body stressed that “only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be allowed to vote on Election Day,” assuring that all logistical and operational preparations are in place to guarantee a free, fair, and credible election.

The FCT Area Council elections remain unique in Nigeria, as they are the only local government elections conducted directly by INEC, rather than by state electoral commissions. Voters will elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across 68 constituencies in Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali.

INEC confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used in all polling units, with results transmitted electronically to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Security agencies are expected to enforce movement restrictions from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., while campaign activities officially ended at midnight on February 19, 2026.