By Segun Ojumu
Nigeria’s electoral body has called on the media to help drive voter turnout and combat misinformation as the capital, Abuja, prepares for local government elections later this month. The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) will hold the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections on 21 February. While technically local polls, officials say the scale of the exercise rivals that of some African national elections.
A ‘mini-presidential’ test
Despite being local council votes, the FCT election holds significant weight in Nigeria’s political landscape.”In practical terms, FCT Area Council elections are conducted like governorship elections,” said Mohammed Haruna, INEC National Commissioner. He noted that Abuja’s voting population of 1.6 million is larger than that of several Nigerian states, including Bayelsa and Ekiti. This will also be the first time council members are elected for a four-year term, following recent changes to the Electoral Act.
Tech and transparency
To boost public confidence, the commission confirmed it will deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS)—a facial and fingerprint recognition technology—to all 2,822 polling units. A “mock accreditation” exercise is scheduled to test the hardware and the online result-viewing portal (IReV) before the polls open. However, the commission warned that four polling units in the capital will remain closed on election day because they have zero registered voters.
Strategic collaboration’
Aminu Idris, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for the FCT, described the lead-up to the vote as a critical period for “strengthening collaboration” between the commission and the public. Speaking at the stakeholder forum, Mr. Idris revealed that preparations are entering their final stage, including: Candidate Changes: The replacement of the APC candidate for Igu Ward following a bereavement.
Logistics: The successful batching of non-sensitive materials across Abuja’s six Area Councils and 62 Wards.
Decongestion: The restructuring of large registration centres in high-density areas like Bwari and Abuja Municipal (AMAC) to reduce queues.” Public confidence is shaped not only by how we conduct the process, but by how it is communicated,” Mr Idris said, adding that voter education efforts have been intensified to reach the city’s 1.6 million registered voters
Warning against ‘fake news’
With the official campaign period ending on 19 February, INEC officials urged journalists to remain objective in a highly polarised political environment.”Prejudices must never interfere with objective and professional reporting,” Mr. Haruna warned media executives at a forum in Abuja. “Democracy thrives when the media places public interest above partisanship.” The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) echoed these concerns, noting that in the digital age, “misinformation spreads faster than facts.” NUJ Chairperson Grace Ike called for the protection of reporters on the ground, following previous elections in Nigeria marred by harassment of the press.
FCT Election Timeline:
7 February: Official publication of Notice of Poll
8 February: Deadline for media accreditation
19 February: End of political campaigning
21 February: Election Day
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