The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a stern warning against vote buying ahead of the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, vowing to prosecute anyone found culpable.
In a statement released on Wednesday in Abuja, INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, assured residents of the FCT that the elections would be peaceful, transparent, and credible.
According to the commission, more than 1.6 million registered voters are expected to participate in the exercise across 2,822 polling units, with 570 candidates contesting for 68 seats.
Amupitan emphasized that elections are a collective responsibility and reiterated that INEC does not favor any candidate or political party.
He disclosed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed in all polling units to ensure credible voter verification, while election results will be uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) for public access and transparency.
“BVAS will be deployed in all polling units, with results uploaded to IReV. The Commission has accredited 89 observer groups and 700 journalists to monitor the process,” the statement said.
The INEC chairman further revealed that security agencies, including the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC), will be deployed to prevent vote buying and maintain order throughout the exercise.
He stressed that perpetrators of vote buying and other electoral offences would be prosecuted in accordance with the law.
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