By Joy Odor Reportcircle News
With just weeks to the Federal Capital Territory’s 2026 Area Council elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has thrown open the gates to the ballot, commencing ward-level distribution of more than 128,000 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across Abuja in what officials describe as a decisive step toward election readiness.
The exercise, which began on Tuesday, is unfolding simultaneously across all 62 registration areas in the FCT’s six Area Councils, marking the most critical phase yet in preparations for the February 21, 2026 polls.
Briefing journalists at the INEC FCT Conference Hall in Abuja, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Malam Aminu Kasimu Idris, said a total of 128,396 PVCs are now available for collection, cards that could determine who votes and who sits out one of the most closely watched local elections in the country.
“This is a major milestone in our preparations,” Idris said, stressing that the Commission has shifted PVC collection from central offices to ward level to ease access, boost turnout and eliminate last-minute bottlenecks.
The in-person collection exercise will run from Thursday, January 22 to Monday, January 26, 2026, between 9:00am and 3:00pm daily.
Eligible voters can retrieve their cards at ward centres before collection continues at INEC Area Council offices thereafter.
The PVCs on offer cut across multiple voter categories: newly registered voters, individuals who transferred their registration into or within the FCT, voters seeking replacements for lost or defaced cards, and thousands of PVCs left uncollected from previous registration cycles.
Idris was unequivocal on the rules. The PVC, he said, remains the only valid document for voter accreditation under Section 47(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
Collection by proxy is prohibited; only the rightful owner can pick up the card.
Behind the PVC rollout lies a significantly expanded voter base.
Following the suspension of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on October 12, 2025, a total of 106,855 new voters were captured in the FCT.
After biometric deduplication, 102,307 were confirmed as valid additions to the register.
This pushes the total number of registered voters in the FCT to 1,680,315, an increase of over 110,000 from the 1,570,307 recorded during the 2023 General Election.
The territory also recorded notable voter mobility, with 8,476 transfers into the FCT and 775 transfers out, underscoring Abuja’s fluid population dynamics and the logistical complexity of managing elections in the nation’s capital.
INEC insists it is not just counting voters, it is counting down with precision.
According to the REC, the Commission has already ticked off several operational milestones: monitoring party primaries and resolving disputes, publishing final lists of candidates, overseeing campaigns, receiving and batching non-sensitive election materials, activating BVAS devices and accrediting observers, media organisations, polling agents and ad-hoc staff.
Security planning has also moved into high gear. INEC has intensified collaboration with security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), commenced the training of election security personnel and engaged the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to ensure smooth logistics on election day.
Voter education and sensitisation campaigns have been ramped up, while the final register of voters has already been published another key legal requirement cleared ahead of schedule.
Idris acknowledged the unique pressures of organising elections in the FCT, citing population density, diverse terrain and security considerations.
He said these factors have been fully integrated into INEC’s operational planning.
As the PVC distribution gathers momentum, the REC issued a direct appeal to voters and the media.
“Collect your PVCs early,” he urged residents, while calling on journalists to help counter misinformation and amplify accurate electoral information.
With ballots printed, devices activated and PVCs moving closer to voters’ hands, Abuja’s local elections are no longer theoretical.
The machinery of democracy is in motion and the countdown to February 21 has begun.
