The Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, has announced a 12-hour restriction on movement across Abuja and its environs ahead of the council elections scheduled for Saturday, February 21, 2026.

In a statement, the Police Public Relations Officer of the FCT Command, Josephine Adeh, said the movement will be restricted to ensure 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 will apply to all residents, except essential service providers and duly accredited election officials.

The command also called on residents to remain peaceful 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,” the statement added.

Meanwhile, the FCT Minister, Nyesom Wike, has declared Friday a work-free day ahead of the council elections.

In a broadcast, Wike said the decision, approved by President Bola Tinubu, is to enable residents to travel to their communities to vote.

In contrast to the police announcement, the minister declared a separate restriction of movement across the FCT from 8:00 p.m. on Friday to 6:00 p.m. on Saturday, directing security agencies to ensure compliance.

Wike urged residents to turn out in large numbers and conduct themselves peacefully, expressing optimism that the polls would produce leaders who would promote development and stability in the territory.

1.58m Collected PVCs

In the meantime, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says preparations for the elections are at an advanced stage, with strong voter participation recorded during the PVC collection exercise.

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 the 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, indicating strong grassroots engagement.

INEC commended residents for their cooperation during the Continuous Voter Registration and PVC collection exercise and reiterated that only registered voters with valid PVCs will be allowed to vote.

The commission also confirmed that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) will 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 across the territory to maintain order, as authorities emphasise the need for a peaceful, free, and credible electoral process. (Channels)