By Joseph Iyalla (Politics Reporter)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) has recorded a 94.4 per cent collection rate of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the Area Council election scheduled for Saturday, 21st February 2026.
In a press statement issued on Thursday, 19th February 2026, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, disclosed that as at the close of collection on 10th February 2026, a total of 1,680,315 voters are registered in the FCT.
Out of this figure, 1,587,025 PVCs have been collected, leaving 93,290 PVCs uncollected.
Providing a breakdown of the figures across the six Area Councils, Haruna described the performance as encouraging, noting that the impressive collection rate reflects strong voter responsiveness across the Territory.
According to him, Abaji Area Council recorded 75,517 collected PVCs out of 79,471 registered voters, representing 95.0 per cent. Bwari Area Council recorded 276,360 collected PVCs out of 295,711 registered voters, translating to 93.5 per cent.
Gwagwalada Area Council recorded 196,184 collected PVCs out of 208,057 registered voters, representing 94.3 per cent, while Kuje Area Council posted the highest collection rate with 144,109 PVCs collected out of 148,286 registered voters, representing 97.2 per cent.
Kwali Area Council recorded 99,774 collected PVCs out of 107,203 registered voters, representing 93.1 per cent. The Municipal Area Council, which has the largest voting population in the Territory, recorded 795,081 collected PVCs out of 841,587 registered voters, representing 94.5 per cent.
He further revealed that several Registration Areas recorded exceptionally high collection rates, with some exceeding 99 per cent, underscoring robust grassroots engagement.
The National Commissioner commended voters in the FCT for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and PVC collection exercises, noting that the figures indicate strong citizen readiness to participate in the electoral process.
The IVEC Chairman reiterated that only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be allowed to vote on Election Day, assuring residents that the Commission has concluded all necessary arrangements to ensure a free, fair and credible election. NNL.
