Janet Samuel
The Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has announced that the conduct of area council elections in the Federal Capital Territory FCT, Abuja, will take place on February 21 next year.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu made this known at the first regular consultative meeting with political parties on Wednesday in Abuja
Yakubu disclosed that the election would involve voting across all designated polling units in the 68 constituencies to elect six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councillors.
He said, “the last Area Council election in the FCT was held on 12 February 2022. By the effluxion of time, the tenure of the current chairmen and councillors ends next year. Consequently, the Commission has approved that the 2026 Area Council election in FCT will hold on Saturday 21st February 2026.
“Voting will take place in all the designated Polling Units across the 68 constituencies to elect the six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councillors.”
‘In compliance with the mandatory legal requirements, the notice for the election will be published next month, i.e.. 26th February 2025. Party primaries will be held from 9th – 30th June 2025. The candidate nomination portal will open from 9.00 am on 21st July 2025 to 6.00pm on 11th August 2025. The final list of candidates will be published on 22nd September 2025. Campaign in public by political parties will commence on 24th September 2025 and end at midnight of Thursday 19th February 2026.”
Yakubu who also speak on the Commission’s preparations towards the Anambra State Governorship election, reminded leaders of political parties that primaries for the nomination of candidates will begin in the next two months, from 20th March to 10th April 2025.
“You may similarly recall that at our last regular meeting, we agreed that you will forward your schedule of activities for the election to the Commission to enable us work together and plan better for the deployment of personnel and resources for the monitoring of your party primaries and campaign activities in order to avoid the last minute rush with the attendant inability to meet deadlines and unnecessarily dissipate our energy and lean resources. So far, only a few parties are in compliance. I urge those that have not done so to submit the details by the end of this week”, he advised.
Also Speaking, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Yusuf Dantalle emphasized the importance of credible elections for Nigeria’s democracy.
He said, “we must get it right in the November 2025 Anambra State Governorship Election, and Plan Adequately for the 2027 General Election, while highlighting the progress of Nigeria’s democracy since 1999 and underscored the need for improved electoral processes.
Dantalle called for early preparations for the 2027 general election and urged INEC to activate its Election Project Plan (EPP) and other strategic frameworks to ensure successful elections
