The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a mock accreditation and results upload exercise ahead of the February 21, 2026, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
In a statement signed by the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC said the exercise will hold on Saturday, February 7, 2026, across 289 selected polling units between 8:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m.
According to the commission, the mock exercise is designed to test voter accreditation procedures and the electronic transmission of results, with a view to ensuring a smooth and credible Area Council election.
INEC encouraged registered voters in the selected polling units to participate in the exercise with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), noting that public participation would help fine-tune its preparations for the main poll. The commission added that the list of designated polling units is available on its official website.
The electoral body reassured residents of the FCT of its readiness to conduct a credible and successful Area Council election on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Meanwhile, the INEC Chairman is holding a security meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES).
INEC said the meeting is the culmination of engagements with key stakeholders since the beginning of the week and is aimed at briefing security agencies on upcoming elections, including the FCT Area Council polls and the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June.
The INEC Chairman noted that the engagement is also intended to fine-tune security arrangements to guarantee the safety of voters, election officials, and election materials. He urged security agencies to closely monitor and curb vote buying and other electoral offences, and to ensure strict enforcement of the law.
Both the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, are represented at the meeting.
