Tinubu urges peaceful conduct ahead of FCT, Rivers, Kano polls

President Bola Tinubu has urged voters, security agencies and officials of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to conduct themselves peacefully and orderly during Saturday’s elections in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Rivers and Kano states.

The polls, scheduled for February 21, 2026, come days after Tinubu signed the Electoral Act 2026 into law. In a statement issued by his Special Adviser on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, the President called on eligible voters to turn out without fear, stressing that democracy thrives in an atmosphere of calm, tolerance and mutual respect.

Tinubu appealed to political parties, candidates and their supporters to shun violence, inflammatory rhetoric and any action capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process. He warned security personnel against intimidation or high-handedness, emphasising their role in protecting lives, property and the sanctity of the ballot.

He assured Nigerians that his administration would continue to support institutions responsible for delivering free, fair and credible elections. He also expressed confidence that the polls in the FCT, Kano and Rivers would reflect the will of the people and strengthen Nigeria’s democratic journey.

The elections will be conducted across the six area councils of the FCT, involving 1,680,315 registered voters in 2,822 polling units, alongside bye-elections in Rivers and Kano states. In Rivers, bye-elections will hold in Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies to fill vacancies caused by resignation and death of legislators. In Kano, elections will take place in Kano Municipal and Ungogo constituencies following the deaths of two members of the State House of Assembly.

The Electoral Act 2026 codifies the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and provides for electronic transmission of results to INEC’s Result Viewing Portal, while retaining manual collation as a fallback where network coverage is poor. The law allows manually completed Form EC8A to serve as the primary basis for collation where electronic transmission is disrupted.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the commission has concluded major preparations, including distribution of non-sensitive materials, training of electoral and security personnel, and configuration of BVAS devices. The commission has also accredited 83 domestic and five foreign observer groups for the polls.

Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has imposed movement restrictions within the territory from 8:00 p.m. on February 20 to 6:00 p.m. on February 21, 2026, to ensure a peaceful voting environment.

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