The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Barr. Ezenwo Nyesom Wike has praised residents and electoral officials for the orderly conduct of the 2026 Area Councils elections held across the six councils of Abuja. The polls, which covered the election of Chairmen and Councillors, were widely reported as peaceful, with no major incidents recorded.
The Minister personally monitored the exercise on Saturday, February 21, 2026, visiting several polling units within the city and surrounding communities. Speaking after his tour, he expressed satisfaction with the calm atmosphere and the overall conduct of voters, security personnel, and electoral officers.
While acknowledging that voter turnout was relatively low in parts of the city centre, the Minister commended residents of satellite towns for their strong participation. He described the turnout in communities such as Ketti and other suburban areas as encouraging, noting that many citizens came out early to vote.
According to him, the most important achievement of the day was the election’s peaceful nature. He emphasised that there were no reports of violence, ballot snatching, or disruption of voting activities, describing the development as a positive sign for grassroots democracy in the FCT.
The Minister also commended the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)
for effectively deploying the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). He noted that, although vote counting was still ongoing at the time of his remarks, early feedback from polling units indicated that the technology was functioning smoothly.
Security agencies operating in the territory were equally applauded for maintaining law and order throughout the process. The Minister urged residents to remain calm and law-abiding as the collation of results continues.
Addressing concerns raised over the temporary restriction of movement during the election, the Minister clarified that the measure was approved by the President and was not a unilateral decision. He explained that such restrictions are standard practices during elections to ensure public safety and prevent disruptions.
Polling locations visited during the monitoring tour included Garki, Karu, Karshi, Wasa, Kabusa, Sheretti, and Ketti. Overall, the Minister described the election as a positive step toward strengthening grassroots democratic governance in the Federal Capital Territory.
