The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will conduct a trial accreditation exercise this Saturday across 289 polling units in the Federal Capital Territory as part of preparations for the February 21 area council elections.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan made the announcement Friday during a meeting with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) in Abuja.
According to Amupitan, the commission has completed essential groundwork for the FCT polls, including distribution of non-sensitive materials and training programs for electoral officials and security personnel. Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices are currently being configured for deployment.
The upcoming elections will see 1,680,315 registered voters participate across 2,822 polling units in the FCT’s six area councils.
Amupitan characterized 2026 as a pivotal electoral year requiring enhanced security coordination, forward-looking intelligence work, and effective cooperation among agencies to ensure elections are peaceful, credible, and free from violence.
“2026 is a very busy electoral year,” he stated, noting that the increased volume of electoral activities places greater responsibility on security agencies to create an environment where citizens can vote without intimidation.
This marked Amupitan’s second ICCES engagement since taking office. His first meeting occurred on October 28, 2025, focusing on security arrangements for the Anambra State governorship election.
The chairman praised security agencies for their professional handling of the November 8, 2025 Anambra election—held just 15 days into his tenure—calling the peaceful outcome a significant accomplishment given the state’s troubled electoral history.
INEC will simultaneously conduct bye-elections Saturday in Rivers State (Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies) and Kano State (Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies).
Looking ahead, Amupitan outlined preparations for the Ekiti State governorship election on June 20, 2026, and the Osun State governorship poll on August 8, 2026. He also disclosed plans for a nationwide voter registration update exercise in preparation for the 2027 general elections.
National Security Adviser and ICCES Co-Chair Nuhu Ribadu, represented by Abdullahi Hassan, commended security and law enforcement agencies for their Anambra election performance. He emphasized the importance of this success as the country faces multiple electoral events throughout 2026 and beyond.
Hassan assured that the Nigeria Police Force, serving as the primary election security agency alongside other security services, is organizing resources to prevent disturbances. He confirmed adequate personnel will be stationed at polling units and vulnerable locations, while politicians with histories of inciting violence will be monitored and restrained within legal parameters.
Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun, represented by CP Abayomi Shogunle, reaffirmed the force’s dedication to comprehensive deployment for all nationwide elections.
“The Nigerian Police Force will continue to deploy massively to ensure that elections are violence-free, peaceful and credible,” Shogunle stated.
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