The Independent National Electoral Commission has officially released the “Notice of Polls” for the upcoming Area Council Elections in the Federal Capital Territory, scheduled to take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
In a statement published on Wednesday, INEC reaffirmed its commitment to deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System for voter authentication. The commission stressed that only voters with valid Permanent Voter Cards would be allowed to participate in the electoral process.
“This is to inform the general public that the Independent National Electoral Commission will conduct elections in the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory as follows:
– Date: Saturday, February 21, 2026
– Time: 8:30 AM
– Venue: All polling units in the Federal Capital Territory
“Note that eligible voters shall cast their votes at polling units where they are registered. Only persons whose names appear on the voter register and possess valid Permanent Voter Cards will be allowed to vote.
“The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System shall be used. No PVC, no voting,” the notice stated.
The commission’s emphasis on BVAS highlights its determination to ensure transparency and credibility in the electoral process. The deployment of the system is expected to reduce electoral fraud and enhance voter verification, thereby improving the integrity of the elections.
INEC urged all eligible voters to prepare for the polls by ensuring they have their PVCs ready, as no exceptions would be made for those without the required identification.
