The results of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections, which are set for Saturday, must be uploaded in real time, according to a coalition of more than 70 Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) that support legitimate elections nationwide. The group, which functions under the auspices of the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, expressed concerns about what it called "hotspots," where voter safety and ballot integrity could be jeopardized, even as it issued a caution against vote dealing.
In a preliminary statement on the election that it provided to reporters, the CSOs' Situation Room stated that the various Area Councils were spread across some of the rigging hotbeds and specific security risks that were discovered following a strategic meeting between the National Peace Committee (NPC) and the INEC on February 10.
While the Situation Room flagged the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) for “high risks of vote buying and political intimidation, particularly in urban centers where competition is fiercest,” it said Gwagwalada was identified “for potential indigene-settler tensions and the presence of political thuggery.”
The CSOs stated that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) must operate at peak efficiency in order to avoid the delays that marked earlier local elections, in addition to assigning INEC the responsibility of demonstrating its dedication to transparency by guaranteeing 100% real-time upload of Form EC8A to the IReV portal.
“Situation Room remains mindful of the persistent and historical challenge of voter apathy in the FCT, particularly in urban councils like the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC). “We recall with deep concern that in the 2022 FCT Area Council elections, out of the 1,373,492 registered voters at the time, the total voter turnout in AMAC was an abysmally low 5.09%. “Situation Room maintains that local government elections, especially in the nation’s capital, should be the gold standard for transparency.
However, the 2026 Act's omission to require real-time electronic transmission of election results perpetuates a sense of disillusionment among individuals who believe that the law does not ensure the transparent transmission of their votes.
“We also note the announcement of the FCT Minister declaring a work-free day in the FCT today, Friday, 20th February 2026, with approval of the President, as well as the restriction of movement from 8 pm on Friday, 20th February 2026, to 6 pm on Saturday, 21st February 2026.
The Situation Room urged security officers to maintain their apolitical stance while recognizing the deployment of security forces throughout the FCT for the election.
