The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 1,587,025 voters in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.
In a statement signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information & Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, the commission said the figure represents 94.4 per cent of the 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT. According to INEC, 93,290 PVCs remain uncollected following the close of the exercise on February 10.
A breakdown by Area Councils shows that Abaji recorded 75,517 PVCs collected out of 79,471 registered voters (95.0%), Bwari had 276,360 out of 295,711 (93.5%), while Gwagwalada recorded 196,184 out of 208,057 (94.3%). Kuje posted the highest rate with 144,109 out of 148,286 voters (97.2%), Kwali recorded 99,774 out of 107,203 (93.1%), and the Municipal Area Council had 795,081 out of 841,587 voters (94.5%).
INEC noted that several Registration Areas recorded collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, describing the turnout as a strong indication of voter readiness. The commission commended residents for their participation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC distribution exercises.
The electoral body reiterated that only registered voters with valid PVCs will be eligible to vote. Residents across Abaji, Abuja Municipal Area Council, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali are expected to elect chairmen and councillors in Saturday’s poll.