FCTDecides2026: Election orderly, BVAS working efficiently

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, said the ongoing Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council election is peaceful and well organised, with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) functioning effectively across polling units.

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Mr Amupitan spoken to members of the INEC press corps after his visits to some polling units around the Federal Capital Territory, DailyPost reported,

The news platform reported that while Mr Amupitan he described the process as calm and efficient while was responding to questions on his observations.

“You can see for yourself that the election is orderly. The election is also very efficient. The election is peaceful. And those are the instances of a good election,” he said.

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He added that voter turnout appeared encouraging, noting that many residents had turned out to cast their ballots.

“There is a large turnout, so that means a lot of people are becoming aware of the need to come and cast their votes. So far, I can say that the election is well organized. The election is peaceful,” he said.

He further added that the presence of about 30 security personnel at polling units has also contributed to the calm atmosphere, adding that by the close of the poll, they will have a very successful election.

BVAS accreditation

Mr Amupitan expressed satisfaction with the performance of the BVAS machines, which are used for voter accreditation.

“So far as the efficiency of the BVAS is concerned, I am very satisfied, because the BVAS has worked, they have worked effectively and efficiently,” he said. “And from what I have taken from the presiding officers, it takes about less than five seconds to even accredit a voter.”

He said the technology would continue to play a key role in strengthening electoral integrity, particularly ahead of the 2027 general elections.

“Well, I have talked about the BVAS. The BVAS works very well. It will guarantee the integrity of the whole system. So if you are not accredited, you can’t vote. When you are accredited, you can cast your votes,” he added.

Incident in Abaji contained

On reports from other parts of the territory, the INEC chair said feedback from polling units had been largely positive.

He, however, confirmed a security incident in Abaji Area Council but said it had been quickly addressed.

“The only area we had a problem was in Abaji, and immediately we deployed security, and the ugly incident was tamed, and so voting has resumed,” he said.

FCT election

The FCT area council elections are being conducted across the six councils: Abaji, Bwari, Gwagwalada, Kwali, Kuje and the Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC).

READ ALSO: #FCTDecides2026: Polling Unit results (LIVE UPDATES)

In all, 637 candidates from 17 political parties are contesting 68 positions, made up of 62 councillors seats and six chairmanship offices.

While five of the area councils have 10 wards each, AMAC, the largest council in the territory, has 12 wards.

According to the INEC, the FCT has 1,680,315 registered voters. Of this figure, 1,587,025 residents who have collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) are eligible to vote in 2,822 polling units spread across the territory.

To facilitate accreditation and voting, INEC deployed 4,345 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines for the exercise.