The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified preparations for the 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Elections at the INEC Forum for Media Executives, Producers, Reporters and On-Air Personalities, held in Abuja, ahead of the forthcoming polls.
Speaking at the forum, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), INEC FCT, Malam Aminu Kasimu Idris, said elections are no longer contested only at polling units but also in the information space, where fake news, doctored videos and unverified reports can undermine public trust and heighten tensions.
According to him, the engagement was designed to strengthen collaboration between INEC and the media, align expectations, and reinforce professional standards in election coverage, especially in the digital era where information spreads at unprecedented speed.
The REC disclosed that the ward-level Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection held from Thursday, January 22 to Monday, January 26, 2026, while collection continues at INEC offices across the six Area Councils and will end on Tuesday, February 10, 2026.
To ensure a hitch-free election, INEC will also conduct a mock voter accreditation exercise in 289 polling units across the six Area Councils. Posters will be displayed in the affected polling units to guide voters. The exercise is aimed at test-running election technologies ahead of the polls.
In his opening remarks, Hon. National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Malam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, revealed that INEC has acquired virtually all non-sensitive materials, already batched according to the six Area Councils, 62 wards and 2,822 polling units.
He added that the Commission is on course to print sensitive materials, including ballot papers and result sheets, possibly ahead of schedule. These materials will be received from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), FCT Branch, on Wednesday, February 18, in the presence of party agents, security agencies, civil society organisations and the media, ahead of the 8:30am commencement of polls on February 21.
He announced that while the observers’ accreditation portal has closed, processing of field officers’ details is ongoing to enable timely issuance of accreditation cards. However, the media accreditation portal remains open until February 8, with a call on media organisations yet to apply to do so urgently.
Delivering a goodwill message, NUJ FCT Chairman, Mrs Grace Ike, warned that elections are “won and lost in the information space,” stressing that disinformation spreads faster than facts in today’s Nigeria.
She urged journalists to prioritise accuracy, fairness and balance, while rejecting hate speech and political manipulation. Mrs Ike also demanded guarantees for the safety and protection of journalists, warning that the NUJ would not tolerate harassment, assault or denial of access to reporters covering the elections.
Representing the Chairman of the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR), Vice President Prof. Emmanuel Dandaura, fnipr, described the forum as a strategic engagement to protect democracy.
He noted that technical excellence means little if public perception collapses, adding that credibility must be communicated, not merely claimed. According to him, every newsroom, studio and microphone is now a frontline of democracy, with headlines capable of either inflaming suspicion or inspiring participation.
Also speaking, Director of Voter Education and Publicity, INEC, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, said elections do not start on Election Day but with information.
She explained that the forum was organised to clarify INEC’s processes, procedures, timelines, legal framework and use of technology, including BVAS and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV), to ensure informed and responsible media coverage.
In a presentation titled “Elections in the Age of Misinformation: Media’s Responsibility in Safeguarding Democracy,”INEC Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary, Mr Adebayo Oketola, noted that modern election threats now include false narratives, fake result sheets, edited videos and coordinated online disinformation.
He stressed that trust has become the most fragile electoral asset and called on the media to act as a firewall against fake news.
The Head of ICT and Voter Registry, INEC FCT, Mr Festus Aisen, took participants through INEC’s technological innovations, with emphasis on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IREV). He explained how these technologies enhance transparency, prevent multiple voting and viewing of Results.
On the legal framework, the Head of Legal Services, INEC FCT, Mrs Rosemary Elachi, presented an overview of the Electoral Act 2022, stressing that effective election coverage requires a sound understanding of the Constitution, Electoral Act, and INEC’s rules and guidelines, all of which have the force of law.
The Head of Electoral Operations, INEC FCT, Mrs Akin Thomas Folasade, explained the voting process at polling units, noting that accreditation and voting will commence simultaneously at 8:30am and close at 2:30pm. She stated that BVAS will be used for voter accreditation and that only voters registered in a polling unit can vote there. She also outlined procedures for casting ballots and measures put in place to prevent fraud, impersonation and ballot box stuffing.
The interactive session that followed was moderated by the Deputy Director, Publicity, INEC FCT, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, during which participants asked questions on election procedures, online media accreditation and the deployment of technology which were duly addressed.
