From Victor Osula, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission has scheduled elections for the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory to take place on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, announced this during a consultative meeting with political party leaders in Abuja on Wednesday.
Prof. Yakubu explained that the commission is mandated by Section 28(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 to issue a notice for elections at least 360 days before the scheduled date.
“The last Area Council election in the FCT was conducted on February 12, 2022. The tenure of the current Chairmen and Councillors will end in 2026. Consequently, the Commission has approved that elections into the six Area Councils will hold on Saturday, February 21, 2026,” Yakubu said.
He added, “Voting will take place in all designated polling units across the 68 constituencies to elect six Area Council Chairmen and 62 Councillors. The notice for the election will be published on February 26, 2025.”
According to the INEC Chairman, political parties are expected to hold their primaries between June 9 and June 30, 2025.
Speaking on the increasing number of by-elections, Yakubu expressed concern over the financial and logistical burden they impose on the commission.
He noted that since the inauguration of the current National and State Assemblies in June 2023, 23 vacancies have arisen due to deaths or voluntary resignations of lawmakers for executive roles.
“While the commission conducted nine by-elections last year, 14 additional vacancies have occurred since then,” Yakubu said.
He highlighted the unpredictability and expense of by-elections, citing cases where a single by-election led to a cascade of others.
“There were situations where a by-election in one senatorial district was won by a serving member of the House of Representatives, creating another vacancy. Similarly, a member of a State Assembly won a by-election to the House of Representatives, resulting in another vacancy at the state level. Consequently, one by-election led to three,” he explained.
Yakubu emphasized the need for legislative reforms to adopt more cost-effective alternatives for filling such vacancies, noting that this practice is already in place in several countries.
“For the past nine years, the commission has been advocating for a more cost-effective means of addressing vacancies. Just three weeks ago, we reiterated this position during our 2025 budget defense before the National Assembly. We are pleased that more Nigerians are now supporting this advocacy,” he stated.
