1.5m PVCs Collected as FCT Prepares for Area Council Polls

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that over 1.5 million Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the six Area Councils of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) ahead of the Area Council Election scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

In a press statement issued on Thursday, INEC disclosed that as of February 10, 2026, a total of 1,680,315 voters are registered in the FCT. Out of this figure, 1,587,025 PVCs have been collected, representing an impressive 94.4 per cent collection rate. The Commission, however, noted that 93,290 PVCs remain uncollected.

A breakdown of the figures across the six Area Councils shows strong performance territory-wide.

Abaji Area Council recorded 75,517 collected PVCs out of 79,471 registered voters, representing a 95.0 per cent collection rate. Bwari Area Council posted 276,360 collected PVCs out of 295,711 registered voters, translating to 93.5 per cent.

In Gwagwalada Area Council, 196,184 PVCs were collected from 208,057 registered voters, representing 94.3 per cent. Kuje Area Council recorded the highest performance with 144,109 collected PVCs out of 148,286 registered voters — an outstanding 97.2 per cent collection rate.

Kwali Area Council reported 99,774 collected PVCs from 107,203 registered voters, representing 93.1 per cent, while the Municipal Area Council recorded 795,081 collected PVCs out of 841,587 registered voters, representing 94.5 per cent.

INEC further revealed that several Registration Areas recorded exceptionally high collection rates, with some exceeding 99 per cent, indicating strong grassroots participation and voter engagement across the FCT.

The Commission commended residents for their responsiveness during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) and PVC collection exercises, describing the turnout as a clear sign of citizen readiness to participate in the democratic process.

INEC reiterated that only duly registered voters in possession of valid PVCs will be eligible to vote on Election Day, assuring stakeholders that all necessary arrangements have been put in place to ensure a free, fair and credible election.

The statement was signed by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.