Voters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) are heading to the polls today to elect new area council chairmen and ward councillors.
The election is underway across the nation’s capital amid heightened political attention and security measures.
INEC Deploys Officials Across Six Area Councils
The Independent National Electoral Commission scheduled the area council election for Saturday, February 2026.
The commission is conducting voting in the six area councils of the FCT — Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
FCT voters will elect 62 councillors across the wards.
The commission deployed materials to 2,822 polling units and registered 1,680,315 voters for the exercise.
Mixed Reports from Polling Units
Videos circulating on social media show INEC officials waiting for voters at several polling units.
However, some residents are struggling to locate their designated polling units.
As of the time of filing this report, authorities have not recorded any incidents of violence.
Curfew Sparks Political Reactions
On Friday, Nyesom Wike, minister of the FCT, declared a curfew from 8 pm ahead of the election.
The announcement immediately drew reactions from political stakeholders.
Ireti Kingibe criticised the decision during an appearance on ARISE TV on Friday.
She questioned the timing of the restriction, noting that it came hours before residents were set to vote.
Similarly, Bolaji Abdullahi warned that the curfew could suppress voter turnout.
He argued that the measure might discourage residents from participating fully in the democratic process.
