President Bola Tinubu has appealed to voters, security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure orderly and peaceful conduct during Saturday’s elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers and Kano states.
The polls, slated for February 21, 2026, are coming shortly after the president assented to the Electoral Act 2026.
In a statement issued Friday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu encouraged eligible citizens to participate freely, stressing that democracy flourishes in an atmosphere of peace and mutual respect.
He urged political parties, candidates and their supporters to shun violence, provocative rhetoric and any conduct capable of undermining the credibility of the process. The president also warned security operatives against intimidation or heavy-handedness, reminding them that their role is to safeguard lives, property and the integrity of the ballot.
Tinubu said, “Fellow Nigerians, I assure you that the Federal Government under my administration will continue to support institutions responsible for delivering free, fair, and credible elections.
“To all residents of the FCT, Kano, and Rivers, I commend your civic consciousness. I am confident that these elections will reflect the will of the people and further strengthen our democratic journey as a nation.”
He further called on INEC to strengthen public confidence by guaranteeing smooth accreditation, efficient voting procedures, accurate collation and prompt transmission of results in line with the provisions of the new law.
INEC is set to conduct elections across the six area councils of the FCT, where 1,680,315 registered voters will cast ballots in 2,822 polling units. Bye-elections will also take place in parts of Rivers and Kano states.
In Rivers State, fresh polls will be held in Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies following the resignation and death of lawmakers. In Kano State, elections will be conducted in Kano Municipal — with 330,228 voters across 630 polling units — and in Ungogo constituency, which has 205,418 voters across 384 polling units, after the demise of two state assembly members.
The Electoral Act 2026 introduces key reforms, including the formal recognition of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and provisions for electronic transmission of results to INEC’s result viewing portal, while maintaining manual collation as a backup in areas with limited network coverage. It also permits the use of manually completed Form EC8A for collation and declaration where electronic transmission is disrupted.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, said preparations have largely been finalised, including distribution of non-sensitive materials, training of electoral and security personnel, and configuration of BVAS devices. The commission has accredited 83 domestic and five international observer groups for the exercise.
Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has announced movement restrictions within the territory from 8:00 p.m. on February 20 to 6:00 p.m. on February 21, 2026, as part of measures to maintain order during the elections.
