The Independent National Electoral Commission has said the Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems would be deployed in all polling units for the Federal Capital Territory area councils election, while results would be uploaded to the Result Viewing portal to enhance transparency.
This was disclosed by the Chairman of the electoral commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), at a high-level stakeholders’ forum on Wednesday.
At the stakeholders’ forum, Amupitan outlined the commission’s preparations for the polls and reaffirmed its commitment to a peaceful, transparent, and credible process.
He specifically noted that operatives of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission and the Independent Corrupt Practices and other Related Offences Commission would be on the ground to deter vote trading and other electoral offenses.
“Any individual found buying or selling votes will be apprehended and dealt with in accordance with the law,” Amupitan said.
He added that 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles and 14 boats would be deployed to facilitate the movement of personnel and materials, stressing that there must be no logistical lapses on election day.
Amupitan noted that INEC remained neutral in the contest.
“INEC does not have a political party and does not have a preferred candidate. Our mandate is clear: to provide the enabling environment for residents of the Federal Capital Territory to freely choose their representatives,” he said.
Amupitan called on political parties, candidates and their supporters to conduct themselves peacefully, while urging security agencies to remain professional and impartial throughout the exercise.
This comes as the commission is set to deploy no fewer than 11,288 ad hoc personnel for Saturday’s area council elections, as the Nigeria Police Force announced a territory-wide restriction of movement to bolster security during the exercise.
The electoral body fixed February 21, 2026, for the conduct of the election into the FCT area councils.
Findings by The PUNCH show that 2,822 polling units have been designated across the FCT’s six area councils, with four officials, a Presiding Officer and three Assistant Presiding Officers assigned to each unit in line with the commission’s standard procedure.
Supervisory Presiding Officers will also coordinate activities at ward centres, while sensitive materials, including ballot papers, Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems and result sheets, are scheduled for early deployment to council offices to prevent delays on election day.
With 2,822 polling units and four officials assigned to each, the commission is expected to deploy at least 11,288 ad hoc personnel for the exercise.
