As residents of Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) get ready to elect leaders for their respective Area Councils on Saturday, February 21, 2026, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says voters should first understand who is on the ballot. According to INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, knowing the candidates is key to making informed choices.
FCT Area Council Elections
The FCT Area Council Elections decide leadership for Abuja’s six councils: Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje, and Kwali. Voters will elect Chairmen, Vice Chairmen, and Councillors representing various wards. These officials play critical roles in grassroots governance, public services, and community development across the territory.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, recently presented the commission’s 2026 electoral roadmap, highlighting preparations for both the general elections and the FCT Area Council polls. About 1.68 million voters across 2,822 polling units are expected to participate in the elections within the six councils.
A total of 570 candidates are contesting 68 positions, including chairmanship and vice-chairmanship seats as well as councillorship roles. INEC reports that most preparatory activities have been completed. Non-sensitive materials are ready, officials have undergone training, BVAS machines are configured for result uploads to the IReV portal, and a mock accreditation exercise has already taken place in selected polling units. Journalist accreditation closes February 8, while dozens of domestic and foreign observer groups have been approved.
The release of the final candidate list followed months of disputes, party disagreements, and court rulings. Campaigns began late in 2025, and legal battles emerged over access codes and candidate submissions, with some parties turning to the courts to secure recognition for their candidates.
Tribune Online reported that a Federal High Court directed INEC to publish candidates submitted by the interim National Chairman of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Senator David Mark, for the FCT elections.
The Journey to the Final Candidate List
INEC’s election timetable scheduled party primaries between June and August 2025, while candidate submissions closed on August 11, 2025. The initial final list was expected on September 22, 2025.
At that stage, 17 political parties successfully uploaded candidates, producing 637 aspirants for the 68 available seats across the councils.
Similarly, the Labour Party (LP) had to seek court intervention after INEC initially denied it access to upload candidate details. A Federal High Court later ordered the commission to accept and publish LP’s list.
These developments show that many candidates on the ballot reached that stage after intense political and legal struggles.
Breakdown of the Final List
INEC’s final list categorizes candidates by council and office. The list remains valid except in rare situations such as the death of a candidate. It covers:
Abaji Area Council — Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councillorship candidates
Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) — Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councillorship candidates
Bwari Area Council — Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councillorship candidates
Gwagwalada Area Council — Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councillorship candidates
Kuje Area Council — Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councillorship candidates
Kwali Area Council — Chairmanship, Vice Chairmanship, and Councillorship candidates
INEC’s website organizes the list by categories, while the full details — including candidate names and party affiliations — can be accessed or downloaded from official commission portals.
Political Parties in the Contest
Seventeen political parties are participating, including major parties like APC and PDP, alongside smaller parties with strong local presence. This provides voters with a wide range of choices.
Area council elections often produce surprises, as grassroots engagement, local alliances, and candidate personalities can quickly reshape expectations, allowing less prominent contenders to gain significant support.
