The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barrister Nyesom Wike, has praised the peaceful conduct of the Area Council elections held across the six councils on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
During a monitoring tour of polling units, the Minister expressed satisfaction with the general turnout of voters, particularly in satellite towns. He noted that while voter turnout in the city centre was low, participation in outlying communities was impressive.
âWe thank God that everywhere is peaceful,â Wike said. âThe problem we have is low voter turnout, particularly in the cities⌠But going round some of the satellite towns, you can see that itâs quite impressive.â
He cited Ketti Primary School and other polling units in satellite towns as examples of strong voter participation, contrasting them with lower turnout in central areas.
The Minister commended security agencies in the FCT for maintaining order and preventing incidents such as ballot box snatching or violence. He also praised the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for what he described as the smooth conduct of the process so far.
On the deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), Wike stated that early reports indicated that the system was functioning effectively, adding that a fuller assessment would be possible after vote counting.
Responding to criticism from Ireti Kingibe regarding an alleged movement ban, Wike clarified that there was no curfew imposed by him personally. He said the restriction of movement from 8 p.m. to 6 p.m. was implemented with the approval of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and described it as a standard security measure during elections.
He urged residents to remain law-abiding and not allow any disgruntled elements to disrupt the electoral process.
Polling units visited by the Minister included locations in Garki, Garki Village, Karu, Karshi, Wasa, Kabusa, Sheretti, and Ketti, among others.
The statement was issued by Rabi Musa Umar, Deputy Director of Press, Office of the Honourable Minister, FCTA.