The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun the distribution of 128,396 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) across the Federal Capital Territory in preparation for the 21 February Area Council elections.
Speaking at a press briefing in Abuja on Tuesday, the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Aminu Idris, said the exercise is taking place at ward level across the territory’s 62 registration areas and will continue until next Monday.
Idris explained that eligible voters can collect their PVCs between 9:00am and 3:00pm daily, after which unclaimed cards will be moved to INEC Area Council offices for further collection.
He said the PVCs include those issued to newly registered voters, individuals who transferred their registration into or within the FCT, voters who requested replacements for lost or damaged cards, and previously uncollected PVCs.
The REC emphasised that PVCs must be collected in person, noting that they remain the only valid means of voter accreditation under the Electoral Act 2022. He warned that collection by proxy would not be permitted.
On voter registration statistics, Idris disclosed that 106,855 people registered during the last Continuous Voter Registration exercise before it was suspended on 12 October 2025. Following verification and deduplication, 102,307 valid new voters were added to the register, increasing the FCT’s total number of registered voters to 1,680,315.
He added that the territory recorded 8,476 voter transfers into the FCT and 775 transfers out.
Idris said INEC had stepped up voter education and sensitisation efforts, published the final register of voters and strengthened coordination with security agencies to ensure a peaceful election. He also confirmed that training for election security personnel had commenced, alongside engagements with transport unions to support election-day logistics.
The REC assured residents that INEC was fully aware of the complexities involved in conducting elections in the FCT and had adequately factored population, terrain and security concerns into its preparations.
