The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has given fresh assurances that every valid vote will count in the upcoming February Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and the August governorship election in Osun State.
The reassurance came from the Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) for both states during INEC’s 2026 Induction and Strategic Retreat, organised for the commission’s newly appointed National Chairman, National Commissioners, and RECs.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Osun REC, Dr Mutiu Agboke, said INEC was fully committed to the rule of law and transparency, stressing that there would be no exceptions in the conduct of the elections. According to him, the message from INEC’s leadership was clear: the will of the people must prevail.
Agboke noted that the commission had drawn important lessons from recent elections, including the Anambra governorship poll, and would also learn from the forthcoming FCT Area Council elections and the Ekiti governorship election. He said these experiences would help strengthen INEC’s processes and restore public confidence.
He also emphasised the importance of continuous engagement with stakeholders, explaining that INEC in Osun holds quarterly meetings to promote peaceful and violence-free elections. According to him, this approach paid off during recent party primaries in the state, which were conducted without any major incidents.
However, Agboke identified vote-buying and election-related violence as the two biggest threats to credible elections in Nigeria. He called on political parties, stakeholders, and the public to join hands in tackling these challenges, stressing that INEC neither distributes money nor arms on election day.
He also raised concerns about voter apathy, questioning what political parties and their spokespersons were doing to motivate citizens to participate in the democratic process. According to him, reassurance and confidence-building remain critical to getting people to believe in elections again.
On his part, FCT REC, Mr Aminu Idris, said INEC was fully prepared for the February 21 Area Council elections. He revealed that most pre-election activities had already been completed, with only the final stages left ahead of election day.
Idris added that Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) — including those from the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise and previously uncollected cards — would be available for collection from January 15. He expressed optimism that voter turnout would improve compared to the last FCT Area Council elections.
According to him, the retreat served as a timely reminder of INEC’s core mission: to conduct peaceful, free, fair, and credible elections across Nigeria. The event was attended by senior INEC officials from all 36 states and the FCT, reinforcing the commission’s nationwide commitment to electoral integrity.
