The Independent National Electoral Commission is gearing up for a pivotal weekend that will serve as the inaugural trial run of Nigeria’s freshly minted electoral framework. On Saturday, INEC will simultaneously manage Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory and critical bye-elections in Rivers and Kano states — all under the newly signed Electoral Act 2026, recently enacted by President Bola Tinubu.

INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, confirmed that the FCT polls will draw on a voter pool of 1,680,315 registered voters spread across 2,822 polling units in all six Area Councils. On the same day, voters in Rivers State will decide seats in the Ahoada East II and Khana II State constituencies, while Kano residents will head to the polls in the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State constituencies.

The new electoral law raises the stakes considerably. Among its most significant provisions is the formal statutory embedding of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the Election Results Viewing Portal — two technologies that have reshaped how Nigeria conducts and monitors elections. For the first time, INEC must apply these provisions not as policy guidelines but as legal obligations, leaving little room for deviation.

Because the FCT Area Council elections are the only local government polls directly administered by INEC nationwide, political analysts and democracy watchdogs see this weekend as far more than a routine electoral exercise. Many regard it as a dress rehearsal for the high-stakes 2027 general elections.

To create the right conditions for a smooth exercise, FCT Minister Nyesom Wike declared Friday a work-free day, giving residents the opportunity to travel to their communities ahead of voting. Speaking through his Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media, Lere Olayinka, Wike also announced a government-approved restriction of movement across the FCT, running from 8 p.m. on Friday, February 20, through 6 p.m. on Saturday, February 21. All security agencies have been directed to enforce the restriction strictly.

Beyond logistics, Wike appealed to the spirit of the electorate. He called on FCT residents to approach Saturday’s vote with seriousness, describing the election of area council chairmen and councillors as a meaningful chance to shape the territory’s direction. “We must show the world that we are a mature and responsible electorate, capable of conducting ourselves with dignity and decorum,” he said.

The minister also expressed gratitude for President Tinubu’s assent to the Electoral Act Amendment Bill, framing it as evidence of the administration’s genuine commitment to transparent democratic processes. “Democracy has always been a work-in-progress,” Wike noted, “but we will keep getting better by always looking into the Electoral Act with a view to strengthening our democratic process.”

He closed with a direct appeal for voter turnout, urging residents to cast their ballots for candidates capable of delivering real development, peace, and prosperity to the nation’s capital territory.