The All Progressives Congress (APC), Action Democratic Congress (ADC), New Nigeria People’s Party (NNPP) and 15 other political parties are rolling out their arsenal today in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council polls, as well as bye elections in Rivers and Kano States.
Political observers yesterday described the polls as a test run for next year’s elections, reports The Nation.
At stake today are the chairmanship and councillorship seats in the Abuja Municipal Area Council and the five area councils of Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali.
Also being contested are Rivers State Assembly seats for Ahoada 11 and Khana 11 State constituencies and Kano State Assembly seats Ungoggo and Kano Municipal constituencies.
Three presidential aspirants from ADC – former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, Peter Obi and Rotimi Amaechi – during the week took turns to campaign for the ADC chairmanship candidate, Dr. Moses Paul.
Flying the flag of the APC is the incumbent, Christopher Maikalangu, whose chances received a boost with the withdrawal of the PDP candidate, Zadna Dantani, who pledged his support for Maikalangu.
The PDP chairmanship candidate in Bwari, Julius Adamu, had earlier stepped down for Joshua Musa of APC.
Observers say the Kano bye-elections will show how strong Governor Abba Yusuf is following his recent defection from the NNPP to the APC.
President Bola Tinubu, yesterday, called for orderliness, restraint, and strict adherence to due process during the elections.
He urged voters, security agencies, and INEC officials to conduct themselves responsibly to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
A total of 1,680,315 voters across 62 Registration Areas (wards) and 2,822 Polling Units (PUs) are eligible for the FCT elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said yesterday that it had established an Election Monitoring Centre to track developments and respond to emergencies during the exercise.
The FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Aminu Idris, told journalists that sensitive and non-sensitive materials were being deployed to Registration Area Centres yesterday for early distribution to polling units.
Idris said voting would commence at 8:30 a.m. as scheduled, adding that transport unions engaged for the exercise must strictly adhere to the terms of their memorandum of understanding with the commission.
“INEC will not tolerate any lapses in logistics arrangements,” he said.
The REC said 17 political parties are participating in the elections, stressing that the commission would enforce strict compliance with the Electoral Act and INEC guidelines.
He warned candidates withdrawing at the last minute that their action contravened the law.
According to him, ad-hoc staff, ward supervisors, electoral officers and Area Council supervisors have been trained and deployed for the election, while all Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have been configured and tested, with additional devices and technical officers on standby to handle emergencies.
The REC urged residents with Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) to come out and vote without fear.
He said security agencies have identified flashpoints and made adequate deployments across the six Area Councils to guarantee peaceful polls.
Also, the Inspector–General of Police (IGP) Kayode Egbetokun has ordered the redeployment of Divisional Police Officers (DPOs) across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the Area Council elections.
FCT Commissioner of Police (CP), Miller Dantawaye, said the measure was part of a comprehensive security arrangement aimed at strengthening operational effectiveness and upholding the highest standards of professionalism before, during, and after the FCT Area Council Elections.
Dantawaye charged the affected Divisional Police Officers to discharge their duties with utmost professionalism, impartiality, and dedication”.
He emphasised the Command’s commitment to safeguarding the electoral process and guaranteeing a free, fair, and credible election.
Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, had declared yesterday work-free to enable residents prepare adequately for the polls.
He also announced the restriction of movement from 8 pm yesterday to 6 pm today.
However, the ADC objected to the restriction in the FCT, saying it amounted to a declaration of curfew.
National Publicity Secretary of the party, Bolaji Abdullahi, alleged that the decision to impose restrictions on movement a day before the election could affect participation in the exercise.
“While some restrictions on movements on the election day may be justified, the conventional practice is for such restrictions to commence at midnight on election day,” he said
The ADC said elections must be conducted in an atmosphere that is not only safe but also visibly free and open to all eligible voters.
According to the party, residents of Abuja should be able to travel safely to their polling units, remain there until the voting process is concluded, and return home “without fear of harassment, obstruction, or arbitrary restriction of movement.”
PDP’s Turaki faction condemns candidates who stepped down for APC
The Tanimu Turaki-led National Working Committee of the PDP condemned the withdrawal of some of its candidates from the area council elections in the FCT.
National Publicity Secretary of the Turaki group, Comrade Ini Ememobong, said the action of the two Chairmanship candidates was shameful and undemocratic.
“This action is anti-democratic in every sense and is hereby totally condemned by the Party. Democracy thrives on healthy electoral contests, not forced or induced melodramatic consensus, as currently witnessed in the build-up to the FCT local council elections,” he said.
He added: “As sad as this development is, it is a pointer to the type of voodoo democracy promoted by those parading as leaders of the PDP, whose only interest is to ‘hold’ the party for the president.
“This is exactly what they intended to do to Nigerians, when close to the Presidential elections. They can compel, induce or cajole all the other candidates to step down or withdraw for the president to have a smooth sail back to Aso Rock Villa, despite the abysmal performance of his administration.
“It was for ignoble, reckless and shameless acts like these that we excommunicated them from our party, in order to rebuild a strong opposition party, prepared for a struggle to return to power by 2027.
“Furthermore, voters should go to the polls prepared to protect their votes and ensure that Presiding Officers transmit Form EC8A immediately after announcing the result at the polling unit.”
Police restrict movement in Ahoada, Khana
The Rivers State Police Command yesterday said movement would be restricted today in Ahoada East and Khana during the bye elections to fill the vacant seats created by voluntary resignation and death, respectively.
Spokesperson for the command, Grace Iringe-Koko, said the restriction would be in force between 12midnight of today, Saturday, February 21 and 6 p.m. to allow for peaceful, free and fair polls in the constituencies.
“During this period, there will be a massive deployment of security personnel across the two LGAs with the intention to forestall any breakdown of law and order and to ensure the protection of lives and properties before, during, and after the election,” Iringe-Koko said.
“Security operatives will be stationed at strategic locations, polling units, and major roads to prevent violence, electoral malpractice, and other criminal activities capable of disrupting the electoral process.”
The Police urged the public and voters to avoid loitering and unnecessary gathering around the polling units during the exercise, to desist from carrying weapons or any suspicious items, to report any suspicious movement or activities detrimental to the election process and to conduct themselves peacefully and in accordance with the electoral law.
It also advised participating political parties, candidates and their supporters to avoid all forms of violence throughout the exercise, insisting they play according to the rules as provided by the electoral law.
The Ahoada seat was formerly occupied by Edison Ehie, who resigned to become the Chief of Staff to Governor Siminialayi Fubara.
The Khana 11-seat lawmaker, Dinebari Loolo, died last year.
INEC receives sensitive materials for Rivers bye-election
The Rivers State office of INEC confirmed, yesterday, that it had received sensitive materials for the bye-elections.
The materials were handed over to INEC at the Port Harcourt branch of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).
Leaders of various political parties showed up to inspect the materials in line with electoral transparency guidelines.
Speaking after the exercise, the Secretary of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) in Rivers State and Chairman of the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP), Ben Ogbobula, expressed satisfaction with the condition of the materials and confirmed that party representatives verified the items and found them intact.
APC, NNPP test strength in Kano
The Kano State chapters of the APC and NNPP yesterday buzzed with election fever as INEC and security agencies geared up for today’s polls.
The stakes are high, with two seats in the State’s House of Assembly vacant following the passing of Sarki Aliyu and Aminu Sa’ad Ungogo.
INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Abdu Zango, exuded confidence that the polls would be peaceful, thanks to the synergy between his team and security agencies.
“We’ve reviewed our plans, and we’re ready to ensure a seamless election,” he said at a meeting with security heads.
Police Commissioner Ibrahim Bakori echoed Zango’s assurance, saying security personnel were deployed to maintain law and order.
Bakori said, “No known threat, but we’re taking precautions.”
The air is thick with anticipation. Would the election be a testament to Nigeria’s democratic maturity, or a step back? Who will triumph between the APC and the NNPP?
Governor Abba Yusuf’s defection to the APC has significantly altered the political landscape in Kano.
This move is seen as a strategic alignment to accelerate state development, as Yusuf aims to leverage the federal government’s support. But it also impacts Saturday’s by-elections, analysts said yesterday.
The recent by-elections for the two vacant seats in the Kano State House of Assembly yielded mixed results. APC won the Ghari/Tsanyawa constituency, while NNPP secured the Bagwai/Shanono seat, indicating a competitive dynamic between the two parties.
Given the current momentum, APC appears strong, especially with Governor Yusuf’s support.
However, NNPP still holds significant influence, and the outcome will depend on various factors, including voter turnout and campaign strategies.
The State Police Command has imposed an 18-hour curfew in Kano Municipal and Ungogo Local Government Areas, effective from 12 a.m. to 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 21, 2026, in a bid to ensure peaceful by-elections for the two vacant State Assembly seats.
Only vehicles on essential duties, including ambulances, fire trucks, and those of electoral officials and accredited observers, will be exempted from the restriction, which applies to all motor vehicles, tricycles, and motorcycles.
The police said the decision followed a security review meeting by the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, chaired by INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Ambassador Zango Abdu, and the Commissioner of Police, Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.
Tinubu urges orderliness, restraint ahead of FCT, Kano, Rivers polls
President Tinubu, in a statement through his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, called for orderliness, restraint, and strict adherence to due process during today’s polls.
The president urged voters, security agencies, and INEC officials to conduct themselves responsibly to ensure peaceful and credible elections.
“The democratic process thrives best in an atmosphere of calm, tolerance, and mutual respect,” he said, appealing to political parties, candidates, and supporters to shun violence, inflammatory rhetoric, and any conduct capable of undermining the credibility of the polls.
The president cautioned security agencies to avoid any form of high-handedness or intimidation that could disenfranchise voters or erode public trust in the electoral process.
He emphasised that security personnel deployed for the elections are to protect lives and property, as well as safeguard the sanctity of the ballot.
President Tinubu also charged INEC to take necessary measures to bolster voter confidence by ensuring timely accreditation, smooth voting procedures, accurate collation, and prompt transmission of results in compliance with the Electoral Act 2026.
“I assure you that the Federal Government under my administration will continue to support institutions responsible for delivering free, fair, and credible elections,” the President stated.
Addressing residents of polling areas, he commended their civic consciousness and expressed optimism that the polls would reflect the will of the people.
“To all residents of the FCT, Kano, and Rivers, I commend your civic consciousness. I am confident that these elections will reflect the will of the people and further strengthen our democratic journey as a nation,” he added.
The elections are expected to test the implementation of recent electoral reforms and further consolidate Nigeria’s democratic institutions at both the local and state levels.
