INEC CHAIRMAN EXPRESSES SATISFACTION WITH FCT POLL PREPAREDNESS, VOWS TO REDEEM COMMISSION’S IMAGE
Read Time:2 Minute, 37 Second
By Ashat Momoh
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, has expressed satisfaction with the level of preparedness for the forthcoming Federal Capital Territory Area Council election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Prof. Amupitan made the remarks on Tuesday, February 17, 2026, at the conclusion of his readiness assessment tour of Kuje, Gwagwalada and Bwari Area Councils. The visit, conducted alongside nine National Commissioners, the Acting Director-General of The Electoral Institute, technical aides and selected directors, underscored the Commission’s commitment to delivering a credible poll.
Addressing journalists after inspecting facilities and interacting with staff, the INEC Chairman emphasised the need to rebuild public confidence in the electoral process through performance.
“We must begin to redeem our image through what we do, not necessarily what we say. From the reports given to us and what we have verified, I am quite satisfied,” he said.
According to him, readiness reports presented by Electoral Officers indicated a high level of preparedness across the councils. One council reported 99.9 per cent readiness, Kuje recorded 90.8 per cent, while another declared 100 per cent preparedness.
Amupitan noted that the Commission went beyond verbal assurances by physically verifying the availability and condition of materials. He confirmed that non-sensitive materials had been batched and were ready, adding that he personally inspected storage facilities to ensure compliance.
The Electoral Officers for Kuje, Yakubu Allawa; Gwagwalada, Bola Abdullahi; and Bwari, Gloria Adebayo-Stephen, assured the Chairman of their full readiness, stating that training of ad hoc staff had been concluded, deployment plans finalised and collaboration with security agencies strengthened.
The Chairman commended the Resident Electoral Commissioner for the FCT and the management team for effective coordination, particularly the decentralisation of operations to Area Council level, which he described as a demonstration of administrative efficiency.
He stressed that the true test of readiness would be evident on Election Day through early activation of Registration Area Centres, timely deployment of personnel and materials, and commencement of accreditation and voting at 8:30 a.m. as scheduled.
On result management, the Chairman directed that results be counted and declared at polling units in line with the Electoral Act, properly entered into prescribed forms and promptly uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal.
Dismissing claims that the Commission was experimenting with electronic transmission, he stated that since 2022, results have been transmitted to the IReV portal, adding that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is fully capable of accreditation, uploading and transmission of results.
He also reminded staff of their oath of neutrality and urged them to discharge their constitutional responsibilities with professionalism and integrity.
Ahead of the election, the Chairman is expected to convene an expanded stakeholders’ meeting on Wednesday to engage political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and the media.
The FCT Area Council election, the only local government election conducted by INEC, is regarded as a benchmark for similar elections organised by State Independent Electoral Commissions nationwide. The Commission reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring that the February 21 poll is free, fair, credible and reflective of the will of the people.
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