By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
DISSATISFIED with several irregularities that nearly marred the recently concluded Federal Capital Territory (FCT) area council elections, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has issued a warning that the late opening of polling units will now attract sanctions.
In a related development, Professor Amupitan has also directed Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) nationwide to ramp up voter education and bolster logistical arrangements.
The directive comes as preparations intensify for the forthcoming off-cycle governorship elections and the 2027 General Election.
Professor Amupitan issued the instruction on Wednesday during a meeting with RECs at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja, shortly before administering the oath of office to the newly appointed Resident Electoral Commissioner for Abia State, Dr Chukwu Chukwu-Emeka Joseph.
Reflecting on the recently concluded February 21, 2026, Area Council election in the FCT, as well as by-elections in Kano and Rivers states, the INEC Chairman expressed his displeasure over delays in the opening of polling stations, despite the peaceful nature of voting.
According to him, only 45 per cent of polling units in the FCT had commenced operations by 8.30 am on Election Day, although all units were fully functional by 10.00 am. He described the initial delay as unacceptable and warned that staff found responsible would face disciplinary action.
Professor Amupitan revealed that some staff in Kuje Area Council and Kabusa Ward were being issued queries over logistical failings, while a transport provider responsible for delays in Kwali Area Council would be placed on a blacklist.
“Every polling unit that opens late erodes public trust. Every member of staff who neglects their duty diminishes our collective reputation,” he cautioned.
He disclosed that by 2.00 pm on the Sunday following the FCT election, over 93 per cent of polling unit results had been uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal, reaffirming the Commission’s dedication to transparency. He later noted that the upload rate had reached an average of 97 per cent.
However, he acknowledged that voter turnout, though improved in the FCT, remained low. Participation rose from 9.4 per cent in 2022 to approximately 15 per cent in 2026, with more than 239,000 voters casting their ballots compared to 148,685 in the previous election cycle.
“No Voter Migration in 2026”
Addressing public concerns over alleged voter migration in the FCT, Professor Amupitan reiterated that no voters had been moved in 2026. He explained that the expansion and decongestion of polling units took place in 2022 under the Commission’s Expansion of Voters’ Access initiative.
Across the country, he said, more than 56,000 additional polling units were created, increasing the total from 119,972 to over 176,000. Around 6.7 million voters were redistributed from approximately 12,000 congested polling units to 17,000 less crowded ones during that process.
In the FCT alone, 411 polling units were decongested, with around 580,000 voters redistributed to 1,156 units. He stressed that these adjustments were administrative measures designed to ease accreditation and voting by splitting polling units with more than 1,250 voters into voting points within the same premises.
He revealed that text messages and emails had been sent to affected voters ahead of the FCT election to help them locate their polling stations using the Commission’s online Polling Unit Locator.
He also condemned the invasion of collation centres in Kuje and Kwali Area Councils by thugs during result collation, though he noted that the situation was brought under control and final results were collated without disruption. He commended security agencies for maintaining order throughout the voting process.
The INEC Chairman said the Commission had introduced additional safeguards to the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) to prevent manipulation.
He explained that presiding officers are required to upload images of completed Form EC8A to the IReV portal and directly input party scores into the BVAS device. The system performs internal validation checks to ensure votes do not exceed accredited voters, figures are mathematically consistent, and over-voting is automatically flagged.
Addressing viral allegations concerning a polling unit in Yangoji Ward, Kwali Area Council, where a party was reported to have scored 1,219 votes despite having 345 registered voters, Professor Amupitan said investigations revealed the discrepancy resulted from a clerical error during score entry by the presiding officer.
He clarified that after a recount in public, the correct figure of 121 votes was recorded and properly reflected at the ward collation. The FCT REC subsequently issued a public statement on the incident.
He cautioned that Nigerians are scrutinising the Commission closely. “There is no room for error or excuse in this crucial process,” he stated.
Professor Amupitan also informed the RECs that a new Electoral Act 2026 had been enacted after INEC had issued a Notice of Election on 13 February under the old law. He said the Commission would revise the timetable for the 2027 General Election to align with the new legislation.
He announced that a comprehensive voter register revalidation exercise would soon commence to further clean up the register ahead of 2027. Meanwhile, the second phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which began on 5 January 2026, will run until 17 April 2026, with the full CVR cycle concluding on 30 August 2026.
INEC Chairman
The Chairman urged RECs to institutionalise post-election reviews, conduct internal audits, assess logistics timelines, strengthen voter sensitisation strategies, and enforce discipline among staff.
The meeting also featured the swearing-in of Dr Chukwu Chukwu-Emeka Joseph as Resident Electoral Commissioner for Abia State. Professor Amupitan congratulated the appointee, describing the role as both a responsibility and an opportunity to strengthen public trust in the democratic process.
“As you embark on this second term, remember that your role is not just about overseeing elections but about fostering trust in our democracy,” he said.
He charged all RECs to return to their states with renewed commitment, vigilance and a clear message to staff that “excellence is not optional; it is mandatory.”
The meeting was attended by National Commissioners, members of the Executive Committee of the Forum of State Independent Electoral Commission of Nigeria (FOSIECON), and senior officials of the Commission.
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