By Mariam Sanni
President Bola Tinubu has urged voters, security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to conduct themselves in an orderly manner in today’s elections in the Federal Capital Territory, Rivers and Kano States.
The polls come just days after Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 into law.
In a statement yesterday by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, Tinubu called on all eligible voters to come out and vote without fear, emphasising that democracy thrives best in an atmosphere of calm, tolerance and mutual respect.
The president appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to avoid violence, inflammatory statements and any action that could undermine the credibility of the electoral process.
He cautioned against high-handedness, intimidation or acts that could disenfranchise voters or erode public trust, stressing that security personnel are present to protect lives, property and the sanctity of the ballot.
Tinubu said, “Fellow Nigerians, I assure you that the federal government under my administration will continue to support institutions responsible for delivering free, fair and credible elections.
“To all residents of the FCT, Kano and Rivers States, I commend your civic consciousness. I am confident that these elections will reflect the will of the people and further strengthen our democratic journey as a nation.”
He also urged INEC to take the necessary measures to bolster voters confidence by ensuring timely accreditation, smooth voting processes, accurate collation and prompt transmission of results, in line with the 2026 Electoral Act.
INEC will conduct elections across the six area councils of the FCT, involving 1,680,315 registered voters across 2,822 polling units, alongside bye-elections in Rivers and Kano States.
In Rivers State, bye-elections will hold in Ahoada East II and Khana II Constituencies to fill vacancies arising from the resignation and death of sitting legislators.
In Kano State, elections will take place in Kano Municipal, with 330,228 voters across 630 polling units, and Ungogo Constituency, with 205,418 voters across 384 polling units, following the death of two members of the ouse of Assembly.
The Electoral Act 2026 introduces several reforms, including the statutory codification of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, and provisions for electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing portal, while retaining manual collation as a fallback in areas with poor network coverage.
The law, which sparked debate, particularly the hybrid transmission system, also allows INEC to use manually completed Form EC8A as the primary basis for collation and declaration of results where electronic transmission is disrupted by network or communication challenges.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the commission has concluded major preparations, including the delivery of non-sensitive materials, training of electoral officers and security personnel, and configuration of BVAS devices.
The commission has accredited 83 domestic and five foreign observer groups to monitor the polls.
The FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike imposed movement restrictions within the FCT from 8pm on February 20 to 6pm on February 21, to ensure a peaceful electoral environment.
