The Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has announced a 12-hour restriction on movement across Abuja and surrounding areas ahead of Saturday’s Area Council elections.
Gatekeepers News reports that in a statement issued by the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, Josephine Adeh, the restriction is aimed at ensuring security and the smooth conduct of the polls.
“The Commissioner of Police, FCT Command, Miller G. Dantawaye, psc., has announced a restriction of movement across the Federal Capital Territory from 6:00 AM to 6:00 PM on Saturday, 21st February, 2026, in view of the scheduled Area Council Elections,” the statement read.
The police clarified that the restriction applies to all residents, except essential service providers and duly accredited election officials. The command urged residents to remain calm and cooperate with security agencies.
“The FCT Police Command urges residents to remain peaceful, law-abiding, and cooperate with security agencies to ensure a safe, free, and credible electoral process,” it added.
Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, declared Friday a work-free day ahead of the elections. In a broadcast, Wike said the decision, approved by President Bola Tinubu, would enable residents to travel to their communities to participate in the polls.
However, the minister announced a separate movement restriction from 8:00 p.m. on Friday to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, directing security agencies to ensure strict compliance.
Wike encouraged residents to turn out in large numbers and conduct themselves peacefully, expressing confidence that the elections would produce leaders committed to development and stability in the territory.
Preparations for the elections are said to be at an advanced stage, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
INEC disclosed that 1,587,025 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected across the FCT, representing a 94.4 per cent collection rate out of 1,680,315 registered voters.
A breakdown shows that Kuje recorded the highest collection rate at 97.2 per cent, followed by Abaji with 95.0 per cent, Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC) with 94.5 per cent, Gwagwalada at 94.3 per cent, Bwari at 93.5 per cent, and Kwali at 93.1 per cent. The commission noted that several registration areas exceeded 99 per cent, reflecting strong grassroots participation.
INEC commended residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercise and reiterated that only registered voters with valid PVCs would be allowed to vote.
The commission also confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would be deployed in all polling units, with results transmitted electronically to its Result Viewing Portal.
The FCT Area Council elections — the only local government polls conducted directly by INEC — will see voters elect six chairmen and 62 councillors across 68 constituencies.
Security agencies have assured residents of adequate deployment throughout the territory as authorities emphasise the need for a peaceful, free, and credible electoral process.
