The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 1.58 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the Area Council elections scheduled for tomorrow.
The update was disclosed in a statement signed by INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who described the turnout as a strong indicator of voter readiness for the polls.
According to the commission, 1,680,315 voters are registered in the FCT, out of which 1,587,025 PVCs have been collected—representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate. A total of 93,290 PVCs remain uncollected.
“The high level of PVC collection across the FCT reflects the enthusiasm and preparedness of voters to participate in the forthcoming elections,” the statement said.
A breakdown of the figures across the six Area Councils shows robust participation. Abaji Area Council recorded 75,517 PVCs collected out of 79,471 registered voters (95.0%). Bwari Area Council posted 276,360 collections from 295,711 registered voters (93.5%), while Gwagwalada Area Council recorded 196,184 collected out of 208,057 (94.3%).
Kuje Area Council emerged with the highest collection rate, with 144,109 PVCs collected from 148,286 registered voters, representing 97.2 per cent. Kwali Area Council recorded 99,774 collections out of 107,203 registered voters (93.1%), while the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) recorded 795,081 collected PVCs from 841,587 registered voters (94.5%).
INEC further disclosed that several Registration Areas recorded collection rates exceeding 99 per cent, pointing to strong grassroots engagement across the territory.
Commending residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercises, the commission stressed that the figures suggest a high level of citizen preparedness.
“Only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be allowed to vote on Election Day,” INEC cautioned, adding that all arrangements have been concluded to ensure a free, fair and credible election.
The FCT Area Council elections remain the only local government polls in Nigeria conducted directly by INEC, rather than by state electoral commissions. Voters across Abaji, AMAC, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kuje and Kwali will elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across 68 constituencies.
INEC also confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will be deployed at all polling units, with results transmitted electronically to the commission’s Result Viewing Portal.
Movement restrictions are expected on election day, while security agencies have confirmed extensive deployments to maintain order.
Campaign activities officially ended two days before the polls.
