INEC Denies Migrating FCT Voters, Clarifies Creation of Split Polling Units

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has moved to clear the air following widespread complaints and speculation surrounding the conduct of Saturday’s Area Council elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT). The Commission firmly denied allegations that it transferred voters to unfamiliar or distant polling units, insisting that no registered voter was relocated from their original polling location.

In a statement issued on Sunday, INEC explained that what many voters perceived as “migration” was, in fact, the creation of split polling units in areas with a high concentration of registered voters. The statement was signed by the Commission’s Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah.

According to INEC, the decision to split polling units was taken in line with electoral guidelines that limit the number of voters assigned to a single polling unit. Specifically, any polling unit with more than 1,250 registered voters was split into two or more units to prevent overcrowding, reduce long queues, and speed up the voting process on election day.

The Commission emphasized that these split polling units were not relocated to far-flung areas. Rather, they were positioned only a few metres away from the original polling units and, in most cases, within the same compound or immediate vicinity. INEC maintained that voters were expected to vote close to their familiar locations, not in entirely new neighbourhoods.

INEC further stated that it took steps ahead of the election to notify voters of the changes. Four days before the polls, the Register of Voters was displayed at designated centres and polling locations, including the newly created split units, to allow voters to verify their details and confirm where they were to cast their ballots. In addition, the Commission said it sent bulk SMS messages and emails to affected voters between February 18 and February 21, clearly indicating their specific polling unit locations.

Despite these measures, INEC acknowledged that some voters experienced difficulties locating their polling units on election day. Data from the Commission’s Election Operations Dashboard showed that as of 8:30am, only about 45 per cent of polling units had opened, though all units were fully operational by 10:00am. INEC attributed early delays partly to logistics and voter confusion in areas with split units.

On voter turnout, the Commission expressed concern over continued voter apathy but noted a modest improvement compared to previous elections. According to official figures, 239,210 voters participated in the 2026 Area Council elections, representing approximately 15 per cent of the 1,680,315 registered voters in the FCT. This marks a notable increase from the 2022 Area Council polls, which recorded 148,685 voters, or 9.4 per cent turnout.

INEC also addressed the delay in announcing results for Kuje Area Council, clarifying that the collation process was slowed by the difficult terrain in Kabi ward, which affected the timely movement of election materials and officials. The final results for the council were eventually declared at about 3:30pm on Sunday.

Concluding its statement, the Commission thanked residents of the FCT for maintaining peace and order throughout the electoral process, while reaffirming its commitment to transparency, continuous improvement, and voter education ahead of future elections.