The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to conduct a mock accreditation and results upload exercise ahead of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council elections scheduled for February 21, 2026.
In a statement signed by the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, INEC said the mock exercise will hold on Saturday, February 7, 2026, across 289 selected polling units, from 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m.
According to the commission, the exercise is designed to test the voter accreditation process and the electronic transmission of results, with the aim of ensuring a smooth and hitch-free election.
INEC encouraged registered voters in the selected polling units to participate in the exercise by turning up with their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), noting that their involvement would help fine-tune logistics and address potential challenges ahead of the main poll.
The commission added that the full list of polling units selected for the mock exercise has been published on its official website.
INEC further assured residents of the FCT of its preparedness to conduct a credible, transparent, and successful Area Council election on Saturday, February 21, 2026.
Meanwhile, the Chairman of INEC is holding a high-level security meeting with members of the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) as part of preparations for upcoming elections.
The meeting, which marks the culmination of a series of stakeholder engagements held throughout the week, is aimed at briefing security agencies on forthcoming polls, including the FCT Area Council elections and the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June.
INEC said the engagement is focused on strengthening security coordination to safeguard voters, election personnel, and materials before, during, and after the elections.
Both the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, and the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, are represented at the meeting.
The INEC Chairman also urged security agencies to intensify efforts to monitor and curb vote buying and selling, and to ensure strict enforcement of electoral laws during the polls.
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