Over 1.58 Million PVCs Collected in FCT Ahead of Council Elections

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says more than 1.58 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) as voters prepare for the council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.

In a statement on Thursday, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the PVC collection exercise recorded a high turnout, reflecting strong voter participation ahead of the polls.

As of the close of PVC collection on February 10, 2026, a total of 1,587,025 PVCs had been picked up out of 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT, representing a 94.4% collection rate. Only 93,290 registered voters were yet to collect their cards.

INEC provided a breakdown of collection rates across the six area councils:

• Abaji Area Council: 75,517 PVCs collected out of 79,471 registered voters — 95.0%
• Bwari Area Council: 276,360 out of 295,711 — 93.5%
• Gwagwalada Area Council: 196,184 out of 208,057 — 94.3%
• Kuje Area Council: 144,109 out of 148,286 — 97.2%
• Kwali Area Council: 99,774 out of 107,203 — 93.1%
• Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC): 795,081 out of 841,587 — 94.5%

INEC noted that several registration areas recorded collection rates above 99%, signalling particularly strong grassroots engagement.

The commission commended residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises, saying the figures indicate a high level of voter readiness for the council elections.

INEC reiterated that only duly registered voters who present valid PVCs will be permitted to vote on Election Day and that all arrangements are in place to deliver a free, fair and credible electoral process.

For the FCT council elections, voters across the six councils — Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali — will elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across 68 constituencies.

INEC also confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed in all polling units for the election, with results transmitted electronically to the commission’s Result Viewing Portal.

To ensure a secure environment on Election Day, movement restrictions are expected to be enforced from 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m., supported by security agencies deployed across the territory.