Nigeria’s political heavyweights are locked in a high-stakes contest today as voters troop out for the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Area Council elections and simultaneous bye-elections in Kano and Rivers states.

In Abuja, the influence of the Minister of the FCT, Nyesom Wike, is on the line as he moves to deliver the nation’s capital for the All Progressives Congress, APC.

Wike is also angling to deliver in Rivers where voters in Ahoada East II and Khana II constituencies also head to the polls in crucial bye-elections.

In Kano, the battle pits New Nigeria Peoples Party, NNPP, leader Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso against his estranged godson, who is now in the APC, Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, in two vacant State Assembly seats.

The elections are the first major electoral outing under the Electoral Act 2026 and are widely seen as a dress rehearsal for 2027.

1.5m voters, 11,000 officials in FCT

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, confirmed that 1,587,025 voters are expected to vote in the FCT. The figure represents a 94.4 per cent Permanent Voter Card, PVC, collection rate from the 1,680,315 registered voters across the six Area Councils.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said voting will take place in 2,822 polling units, with 570 candidates contesting 68 constituencies — six chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats. Two candidates withdrew before the polls.

In Abuja Municipal Area Council, AMAC, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, chairmanship candidate, Zadna Dantani, stepped down for the APC candidate, Christopher Zakka Maikalangu. In Bwari, PDP’s Julius Adamu also withdrew for APC’s Joshua Ishaku Musa.

The withdrawals followed political consultations led by Wike, a former PDP governor who now serves in an APC-led Federal Government. The development has heightened expectations that the minister is determined to swing Abuja in favour of the ruling party.

To manage logistics, INEC deployed 1,132 vehicles, 620 motorcycles for hard-to-reach communities and 14 boats for riverine areas. A total of 11,873 polling unit officials have been engaged, supported by 282 Supervisory Presiding Officers, 192 Collation Officers and 208 technical staff to handle the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said voter enthusiasm was high, with AMAC leading in PVC collection at 795,081, followed by Bwari with 276,360 and Gwagwalada with 196,184. Kuje recorded a 97.2 per cent collection rate with 144,109 cards, while Kwali and Abaji posted 99,774 and 75,517 respectively.

He warned that anti-graft agencies, including the EFCC and ICPC, had been mandated to clamp down on vote-buying. Eighty-nine observer groups and about 700 journalists have been accredited to monitor the exercise.

Heavy security, 12-hour restriction in Abuja

Security agencies rolled out massive deployments across the FCT.

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, NSCDC, confirmed the deployment of 4,000 personnel. FCT Commandant, Dr. Olusola Odumosu, said covert operatives had been stationed at flashpoints to forestall disruptions.

The Nigeria Police, as lead internal security agency, also deployed thousands of personnel. FCT Commissioner of Police, Miller Dantawaye, announced a 12-hour restriction of movement from 6am to 6pm today.

Police spokesperson, SP Josephine Adeh, said the restriction exempts essential service providers and accredited election officials. Residents were urged to remain law-abiding and report suspicious activities through designated emergency lines.

Kano: Nine parties jostle for two seats

In Kano State, nine political parties are contesting the bye-elections into the Kano Municipal and Ungogo State Assembly constituencies.

The seats became vacant following the deaths of the lawmakers representing Ungogo, Aminu Sa’ad, and Kano Municipal, Sarki Aliyu Daneji.

INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner, Amb. Abdu Zango, said parties participating include A Party, ADP, APP, AAC, APC, APM, PRP, YPP and ZLP.

He confirmed the arrival, sorting and distribution of sensitive materials and assured voters of the commission’s readiness.

Security arrangements were finalised at a meeting of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, co-chaired by Zango and the Kano State Commissioner of Police, CP Ibrahim Adamu Bakori.

Bakori announced an 18-hour restriction of movement in Kano Municipal and Ungogo LGAs from midnight to 6pm today. Movement of vehicles, tricycles and motorcycles is barred, except for ambulances, fire service trucks and vehicles conveying electoral officers and accredited observers.

Only eligible voters and accredited party agents will be allowed at polling units. The police also banned the carrying of weapons, loitering and the wearing of political party insignia at voting centres.

State-owned security outfits — including vigilante groups, neighbourhood watch, Hisbah and KAROTA personnel — are prohibited from operating at polling units.

“The Command assures the public of adequate security and neutrality,” Bakori said, urging residents to cooperate with law enforcement agencies.

The contest is being closely watched as a test of strength for Kwankwaso’s NNPP and Governor Yusuf in a state that remains politically volatile.

Rivers: Bye-elections in two constituencies

Simultaneously, INEC is conducting bye-elections in Rivers State for Ahoada East II and Khana II State constituencies.

Though less dramatic than the FCT and Kano contests, the Rivers polls are politically significant, coming amid shifting alliances and power recalibrations in the oil-rich state.

Early test for 2027

Today’s multi-state polls are more than routine elections. They represent the first major test of the amended Electoral Act 2026, the resilience of security architecture and the capacity of political actors to play by the rules.

In Abuja, Wike’s political dexterity faces scrutiny as he seeks to demonstrate control of the capital’s grassroots structures. In Kano, Kwankwaso and Yusuf confront a determined opposition in what many see as a referendum on the NNPP’s hold on the state.

With over 1.5 million voters in the FCT alone, thousands of security personnel on the streets, and strict movement bans in place, the stage is set for a defining electoral moment — one that could reshape alignments ahead of 2027. (Vanguard)