The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 637 candidates will contest for 68 elective positions in the upcoming 2026 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections.
The positions include six chairmanship and 62 councillorship seats across the six area councils. This was confirmed in a statement released on Thursday by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee.
According to the statement, 17 political parties submitted nominations before the 6:00 p.m. deadline on Monday, August 11, 2025. The submitted forms—Form EC9—contain candidates’ academic qualifications and supporting documents, which will be displayed at INEC offices in all six area councils for public viewing.
“After the conclusion of party primaries for the Area Council elections in the FCT, 17 political parties successfully uploaded their candidates’ nomination forms before the 6:00 p.m. deadline on Monday, 11th August 2025, when the portal automatically closed,” Olumekun stated.
He further explained that, in accordance with Section 29(3) of the Electoral Act 2022, INEC will publish the personal details of all candidates—including their credentials—on Monday, August 18, 2025, at its local offices in the six councils.
“The 17 political parties have collectively nominated 637 candidates for the 68 available positions—six chairmen and 62 councillors—in the FCT,” he added.
INEC urged members of the public to review and verify the displayed documents, encouraging transparency in the electoral process.
“We call on citizens to carefully scrutinize the submitted credentials. Any aspirant who participated in the party primaries and has valid reasons to believe that a candidate’s information is false may seek redress in a Federal High Court, as provided under Section 29(5) of the Electoral Act 2022,” the statement said.
The final list of candidates will be released on September 22, 2025, in compliance with Section 32(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which requires publication at least 150 days before the election date.
The FCT Area Council elections are officially scheduled to hold on February 21, 2026.
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