The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a strong warning against vote buying and selling ahead of the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections, directing anti-corruption agencies to arrest offenders at polling units.
INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the warning on Wednesday during a stakeholders’ meeting held in Abuja. He disclosed that the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) and the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC) have been given full authority to deploy officers across polling centres to monitor activities and apprehend anyone caught engaging in vote trading.
He stressed that the Commission would not tolerate any act capable of compromising the credibility of the elections.
“Anyone found buying or selling votes will be arrested and prosecuted in line with the law,” he said, noting that such practices weaken the integrity of elections and reduce public trust in democratic processes.
The FCT Area Council elections are scheduled to hold on Saturday, February 21, 2026. A total of 1,680,315 registered voters are expected to participate across 2,822 polling units located within the six Area Councils. Altogether, 570 candidates will be contesting for 68 available positions, including Chairmen, Vice-Chairmen, and Councillors.
Amupitan reaffirmed the Commission’s neutrality, emphasizing that INEC has no political interest in the outcome of the election.
“INEC does not belong to any political party and has no preferred candidate. Our responsibility is to create a level playing field and ensure that residents of the FCT are able to freely elect leaders of their choice,” he said.
He also revealed that the Commission has successfully completed all 13 activities outlined in its election timetable. According to him, the remaining steps include the official close of campaigns on Thursday and the conduct of the election on Saturday.
To enhance transparency and efficiency, the INEC Chairman said the upgraded Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be used in all polling units. He added that the Commission has made adequate logistical arrangements, including the deployment of 11,873 polling officials, 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles, and 14 boats to ensure smooth conduct of the exercise.
He called on stakeholders, including voters, political parties, and security agencies, to work together to ensure a peaceful and credible election.
“Our shared responsibility is to ensure that every vote is cast freely, counted accurately, and announced transparently. We must continue to strengthen the credibility of local government elections and set a positive example,” he said.
INEC Warns Against Vote Buying, Orders EFCC, ICPC to Arrest Offenders in FCT Council Poll
