FCT 2026: INEC Establishes Election Monitoring Centre

 

By Our Correspondent

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the creation of an Election Monitoring Centre to oversee activities and address emergencies during Saturday’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.

The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aminu Idris, disclosed this while briefing newsmen on the Commission’s preparedness for the polls. He stated that both sensitive and non-sensitive materials would be deployed to Registration Area Centres this afternoon to facilitate early distribution to polling units, ensuring that voting commences at 8:30 a.m. as scheduled.
Mr. Idris emphasized that transport unions contracted for the exercise must strictly comply with the terms of their Memorandum of Understanding, warning that INEC would not tolerate any lapses.
He further revealed that seventeen political parties will participate in Saturday’s FCT Area Council elections, adding that the Commission is committed to enforcing strict compliance with the Electoral Act and election guidelines throughout the process.
According to the Resident Electoral Commissioner, the Electoral Act and election guidelines clearly define the timeframe within which candidates and political parties may withdraw from an election.
He stressed that any candidate or political party announcing withdrawal on the eve of the election would be acting contrary to the law.
Mr. Idris also noted that adequate ad-hoc staff, ward supervisors, electoral officers, and Area Council supervisors have been properly trained and deployed for the exercise.
He assured residents that all Bimodal Voter Accreditation Systems (BVAS) deployed for the election have been configured and tested to ensure efficient and timely voter accreditation.
In addition, he said extra BVAS machines are on standby, while technical officers have been strategically positioned to respond to any emergencies.
The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner urged residents in possession of Permanent Voter Cards not to entertain any fears, stating that security agencies have identified and deployed personnel to all black spots across the six Area Councils.